REMEMBERING 100 YEARS The bounty of Boundary County Fair
By Abigail Thorpe
THIS YEAR MARKS THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF A COUNTY TRADITION THAT REMAINS AT ITS HEART A CELEBRATION.
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very summer since 1920, growers and livestock owners have met to display their goods, learn from and socialize with one another. It’s formed an annual tradition of community spirit, appreciation and kinship that is the Boundary County Fair. This year marks the 100th anniversary of a county tradition that remains at its heart a celebration of the community, the individuals, and the commitment to family and land that marks our northern community. The first fair, held in 1920, reminds us of why we continue the tradition every year. “The officers of the fair association desire to call attention to the importance of holding an annual fair. The exhibitors are brought together in friendly competition and thus are stimulated to grow better agricultural products and raise better livestock. Each man sees what his neighbor has produced or raised and, if interested, may learn what methods were pursued to accomplish the results attained. Every farmer of the county should endeavor to bring in exhibits and to work to make this, our first fair, a grand success … Remember, this is your fair,” - 1920 Boundary County Fair Book.
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“The fair serves the community by providing a summer activity that everyone can get involved with,” says Boundary County Fair Administrator Paula Burt. It provides a space for anyone to enter an exhibit in a wide array of categories—it’s not only a venue for 4-H and FFA students. “Fair seems to be the one event the county looks forward to every summer. It’s a time when friends who haven’t seen one another during the year seem to catch up with each other,” adds Burt. Every summer the fair is a time North Idaho communities can gather and share their talents, pass along helpful tips, celebrate community and farming, and enjoy some simple, old-fashioned fun. Many board members and attendees have participated in the fair for years—if not generations. Board Member Glenda Poston’s mother served as a flower superintendent and then general super for the Boundary County Fair for decades, and Poston herself has been involved for 40-plus years. “One year I would see all of these beautiful cakes, pies, cookies [and] breads go to waste,” she recalls. “So I thought, ‘Let’s auction them off.’ Well, you know the rest of the story. The proceeds from those auctions have assisted
