The fair has always provided a common meeting ground for those who live in towns and cities. Exhibits of new household and industrial products are an incentive to the farmer, and a whole a day spent at the fair offers insight into the agricultural world for city folks. In the 154 years since the Canfield Fair was organized, great changes have taken place in Mahoning County. In 1846 it was almost entirely agricultural, while today it has become a thriving industrial and service-oriented community. The fairgrounds sit on 350 acres, well kept and lovingly maintained.
People come in cars, motorhomes, pickup trucks, on motorcycles and on foot.
What has remained unchanged over the decades is the spirit and heritage of that pioneering group at that first simple gathering in 1846. The legacy of the Canfield Fair is a willingness to share ideas, bring forth the best of the harvest each year, and to build the tradition of lifelong friendships. Today's fair is the ultimate carnival with Bates Brothers' rides, food, midway games and sideshows, while at the same time a heritage of agriculture, art and industry. It's a place to meet and greet old friends and to introduce a whole new generation to animals and farm products. Western Reserve Village on the south end of the fairgrounds is a reconstruction of pioneer life in Mahoning County, with the buildings brought here from their former locations and carefully preserved.