The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-07-31

387-acre state fair grounds at Des Moines can be reopened.
 Demand for the fair is beginning to surge through the cornbelt, ana it makes the fair board feel good In the first year or two after Pearl Harbor, nobody seemed to miss the exposition and there was some fear that it would have to be written off as war casualty.
 But now there is no doubt that Iowa farmers want their annual exposition. It belongs to agricul- ture to an extent which probably is not equalled by any other insti- tuition of its type.
 For a full, complete agricultural program, there is no fair that can compete with Iowa." Cunningham boasts. He says every American agricultural product, except cotton and citrus fruits, is represented at the Des Moines fair because it is grown in Iowa. The livestock roster even includes goats.
 Boar Was Champ
 Probably the most famous ex- hibit the Iowa fair has had since it began in 1854 was Blue Boy. This 750-pound Hampshire board was state fair swine champion in 1881. In 1882 it appeared with Will Rog- CTS in State Fair" and came near to stealing the show from the cow boy star.
 The annual trip to the state fair is the only vacation many farmers take, and they make it family affair.
 For the farmer there are exhibits of prize livestock and crops. His wife may show her canned goods. The children can't miss the Four-H club exhibits, in which their own handiwork will be shown if it is good enough to meet the competl- tion of thousands of other young Iowans.
 These exhibits are gathered in IA agricultural halls. Supplementing them are 40 acres of outdoor ma chinery displays and an industrial building containing small farm equipment and home appliances.
 The farm family can live on the fairgrounds during its entire stay There is a tent ground which has held as many as 6,000 campers at once. Among the more than 50 buildings on the grounds are four dormitories for boys and G..--.E.
 There is a variety of entertain ment, but Cunningham says inter- est is shifting from horse racing once the central attraction, to the free vaudeville acts provided by the fair management.
 Old Timers Like Races
 The old timers are sorry about that. The exciting pageantry ot trotters and pacers clopping smart ly around a dirt track, drawing light sulkies driven by goggleo drivers in colorful silks, is something they can't forget.
 Cunningham doesn't think thai running" races have much chance as a substitute. A man who has worked with horses the way a farm CT has is not likely to be impressed by a sport which he regards al chiefly a gambling device.
 The last state fair was held 1T i04i. A few months later cant Pearl Harbor. The following year the fairground buildings were oc cupied by the army air forces fol storage depot. and the ground still are closed to the public.
 But while there Is to be no stat fair this August, the county fair will thrive. They have had thei troubles since 1928 and 1926. whei there were e7 of them in Iowa During the depression years the! were kept alive mainly through tn efforts of Four.H club boys am girls.
 This year. with wartime traye restrictions preventing the bil show, some as or co county fair will hold the center of tho stage keeping alive a Mldwost tradition ihai wi|l achieve new heights ll ' AA.M .aa4.4 1sN 4kaMM.