Fairgo Forever! 100 Years of the Allegany County Fairgrounds

Fairgo Forever!

100 Years of the Allegany County Fairgrounds

Thank you

The Cumberland Times-News and Allegany Magazine are pleased to present “Fairgo Forever! 100 Years of the Allegany County Fairgrounds.” This unique pictorial history book would not have been possible without the generous contributions made by many people from virtually every corner of our community.

We are indebted to those residents who captured their time and experiences in photographs and provided a glimpse into the history of the fairgrounds.

The following organizations have contributed greatly to this project:

Allegany County Fairgrounds

Allegany County Government

Allegany Magazine

Cumberland Times-News

DelFest

Publisher: Chip Minemyer

Editor: John Smith

Advertising Director: Don Watson

Creative Director: Vaughn Burnheimer

Graphic Artists: Joseph Kuerth, Jeremy Warnick

Foreword

Birth of the fairgrounds

Allegany County Fair

4-H and the fair

4

7

Around the track 55 Entertainment and events

Fairgrounds home to DelFest

County connection

Business profiles

FOREWORD

Story of the Allegany County Fairgrounds is the story of my family

BY KEVIN KAMAUF

Iwas born on May 1, 1954 — and that was my first year at the Allegany County Fairgrounds.

The annual fair was in late August that year, and my mother worked in my uncle’s food stand. Granny cooked in the back of the stand.

I’m told my mom propped me up on the counter in a child seat. This was the beginning of my life at the fairgrounds — which continues today.

That’s why this book celebrating 100 years of the Allegany County Fairgrounds is so special to me.

I vividly remember being in a wooden playpen in the back room watching Granny cooking on the stove when I was about one. The next year, Pappy rigged a seat for me to ride with him on his 1955 Ferguson tractor. I still ride that tractor at the Fairgrounds.

The first fair in Allegany County was held at the Oak Hill Fairgrounds in South Cumberland on Nov. 9-12, 1869.

The event was held by the Agricultural

and Mechanical Society of Allegany County with West Virginia and Pennsylvania. Their mission was to “foster progressive Agriculture and Horticulture, and the improvement of the breed of Domestic Animals, and the Development of the Arts and Sciences.”

On July 10, 1918, the Cumberland Fair Association Inc. was formed to conduct agricultural fairs and exhibits in Maryland’s Allegany and Garrett counties. The total amount of capital stock was $1,000 — divided into 100 shares at $10 each.

The articles of incorporation were amended on March 21, 1919, to increase the amount of stock from $1,000 to $25,000 and to increase the number of shares of stock from 100 to 2,500 shares at $10 each.

The purpose of this increase was to purchase land and build a larger fairgrounds.

Then on Oct. 7, 1924, the Cumberland Fair — as it was known then — opened at the new $150,000 home. Horse racing took place during the fair for many years. Eventually, the horse racing was held at another time of

year separate from the fair.

In 1932, Isaac (Ike) Parker — my grandfather — became a part-time worker at the fairgrounds, primarily before, during and after the fair and races.

Just before the great flood of 1936 in Cumberland, Ike (Pappy) and his wife Ethel (Granny) moved into the house on the fairgrounds and became the caretakers.

They lived there until Pappy died in 1972. Granny continued to reside there until the fall of 1975.

I remember going to the horse races with my mom and dad. Pappy would be on his tractor, pulling a rake between each of the races. The horse barns housed many horses that were kept there year-round.

Sadly, the last horse race held was in September 1961.

In 1966, auto racing replaced the horses. Mario Andretti won a United States Auto Club-sanctioned sprint car race on July 31, 1966. From 1968 to 1970, the American Motorcyclist Association held sanctioned races here.

My childhood, through the late 1950s and 1960s, brought me to the fairgrounds weekly. It became my playground.

I would ride on pappy’s tractor — holding onto the fender as he mowed the 50 acres of grass with a sickle-bar mower. Pappy always planted a garden (where the boat ramp parking lot is today). Mom, Dad, my brother and I always helped plant, look after and harvest the garden. Granny canned everything that came out of it.

At Christmastime, our entire family went “over the river and through the woods” to granny’s house at the Fairgrounds to see what Santa had brought us.

I graduated from high school in 1972 and went to work for my dad in his stained glass business. I got married in 1978. My dad retired and I took over his business. This allowed me to still attend every event held during that time frame, especially the fair. I would repair all the broken glass in the windows on the buildings prior to the fair. Allegany County Government, through a

grant from Project Open Space of Maryland, purchased the fairgrounds on May 9, 1986. I became a volunteer for the county and worked the events that rented the fairgrounds.

My lifelong knowledge of the facility helped county leaders understand what they had bought and where everything was — above and below ground.

In 1989, the county hired me to work the events for them. In 2002, I became the manager of the Allegany County Fair, and 10 years later I became the Fairground Events Coordinator / Fair Manager.

The original caretaker’s house was torn down in 2010, and six years later a replica of that house was built on the same location.

My wife and I moved into the new house in 2017 and became the caretakers of the property.

Life for me had come full circle.

There have been countless events and changes at the fairgrounds over its 100 years.

I have had the privilege to see every one of them over the past 70 of those years.

I have great relationships with the many renters of the fairgrounds.

For me, it’s like having more than 200 different family reunions each year.

I have a lifetime of memories and I look forward to many more years!

Kevin Kamauf is manager of the Allegany County Fairgrounds.

Learn more at www.alleganycofair.org.

BELOW: The roof of the grandstands advertises upcoming dates for the Cumberland Fair in this aerial photo. COURTESY KEVIN KAMAUF

LEFT: Kevin Kamauf, manager of the Allegany County Fairgrounds.

STEVE BITTNER / CUMBERLAND TIMES-NEWS

Birth of the fairgrounds

The latter part of the 19th Century saw the rise of county fairs across Maryland. As in most counties, fairs in Allegany County were initially portable, moving to wherever there was flat land to set up tables and mount horse racing. However, it was when the first stationary racetrack, known as the South End track, opened in Cumberland in 1869 that the county’s first formal fair took place, as well.

The fair was produced by the Agricultural and Mechanical Society of Allegany County, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Although no premium book exists from 1869, its 1871 book noted “$3,000 in premiums,” equal to $75,000 in prize money in 2024.

High stakes brought high volumes of racers, exhibitors and spectators from all over the region, but it was almost 30 years before it became obvious that an event site was needed that was large enough to sustain continued growth.

In 1918, a private group of citizens created the Cumberland Fair Association

Incorporated, with the goal of finding the perfect location for a permanent installation. Not counting on public funding, bonds were offered to pay for it.

A flat piece of open land, nestled among the mountains near the Potomac River was found to be perfect in 1923, and by October 1924, the Allegany Fairgrounds opened its gates for the first time. Known then as the Cumberland Fairgrounds, nicknamed “Fairgo,” its 97.5-acre site cost $150,000; equal to a little over $2.8 million in 2024.

The racetrack attracted thoroughbreds from all over the region, and horse racing proved an economic boon to the area for almost 40 years. The 1961 season saw an end to horse racing, yet not to racing.

The track was ready by summer of 1966 for its first auto racing season, which included a NASCAR ARCA race. Three thousand people crowded the grandstand to watch the likes of Bobby Unser and Mario Andretti pass under the checkered flag. Intermittent racing continued until 1982, which saw a

temporary end.

The Cumberland Fair Association sold its interests to the state of Maryland in 1986.

The state then donated the fairgrounds to the county later that year and the Allegany County Fairgrounds was born.

The first order of business was to save portions of the historic site.

Only two historic buildings were able to be kept: One was the original grandstand and the Jockey Club. However, constructing new buildings was key to the fairgrounds restoration, and the process has been judicious.

The north pavilion, built in 1987, provided a covered show ring for the fair. Although entertainment was never excluded from the fairgrounds, a new focus on staged entertainment began in 1989.

By 2024, the fairgrounds would see an average of seven individual concerts per year, as well as festivals. Four days during Memorial Day Weekend are reserved for DelFest, a celebration of Del McCoury

and his award-winning bluegrass sound. One day in June sees the Jaycees’ Wing Off & Music Festival; and the Allegany Country Fair boasts three outdoor concerts over three days in July. In addition, the Western Maryland Street Rod Association hosts car enthusiasts from all over the East Coast on Labor Day Weekend. And building continues to be practical and necessary. For example, unlike too many venues, the county fairgrounds have permanent restrooms built in 2012 and 2021. A multi-purpose building, constructed in 2001, houses fairgrounds offices and hosts area events, including late-night concerts during DelFest. And, the fair manager lives on site, now that the caretaker’s house — 20 years vacant when torn down in 2010 — was rebuilt in 2016 on the footprint of the original.

— Lynda Case Lambert

Blacktopping between grandstand and track, circa 1920s. COURTESY KEVIN KAMAUF

ABOVE : Fairgrounds entrance with railroad watchman box, circa 1940s. COURTESY KEVIN KAMAUF

ABOVE LEFT: Ike Parker and a helper mow grass on a 1941 Farmall tractor, circa 1940s. COURTESY KEVIN KAMAUF

OPPOSITE : Moving an out-building from one end of the fairgrounds to the other, circa 1940s. COURTESY KEVIN KAMAUF

LEFT: Poultry Building, 1925–1929. FROM THE COLLECTION OF ALBERT AND ANGELA FELDSTEIN

Allegany County Fair

What’s the fairgrounds without the fair?

As the Allegany Fairgrounds celebrates its 100th anniversary, the Allegany County Fair celebrates its 155th. In some ways, little has changed since the fair’s opening in 1869. Rides, events and treats characterize the event, which runs over eight days. Cotton candy, hot peanuts, snow cones and funnel cakes are all expected fare. The Ferris wheel, merry-go-round, the shooting gallery — they’re all still there and still fun. But county fairs have always looked first to what we grow, raise and make. Who raised the fattest hog? Who has the best jam? The most delectable pie? Such community involvement is still a main focus of almost any county fair, and

becoming an exhibitor at the Allegany Fair & Agricultural Expo is as easy as filling out the form.

If you grew it, harvested it or made it, there’s a division to enter. Carve a duck decoy? Produce honey? Perhaps your corn is the sweetest or your decorated cake worthy of the grandest wedding. If so, then you may win!

Winning a prize can net a small premium, with averages of $6 to $25, depending on division. But there are separate contests, too, that offer a slightly bigger fortune and a bit of fame. For example, winners of the Forestry Photo Contest won a top prize of $100 in 2023 and the display of their work at the Allegany Arts Council gallery.

The real prize, of course, is the pride

the winner feels at being judged the best — whatever that division, whatever that class may be.

The 4-H club members come every year seeking that prize, and continue to be an integral part of the fair. Although their historic focus is livestock, agriculture and home goods, 4-H is also represented in art, photography, public speaking, electric projects, robotics and new challenges and presentations every year.

Whether a 4-H project or an open class, livestock always brings a crowd to the exhibit area. The animals, many of which are sold at the end of the fair, are organized in divisions, and, within each, there are multiple classes. In horses, for example, in the 2023 premium book, 21 classes were offered,

though not every class must have an entry. Livestock Production Awards, on the other hand, concern just weight and weight gain. Animals that qualify for this class are beef cattle, goats, sheep and swine.

The Allegany County Fair offers unique displays as well. Where else, after all, can one see demonstrations of chainsaw carving or get the opportunity to explore antique farm equipment as fireworks explode overhead. Coming to the fair was relatively expensive in 1942: 50 cents for those six years old and up, but there were seven horse races daily. Amazingly, that fee has only risen to $1, and “parking is free below the railroad tracks,” according to the 2023 Premium Book. A lot of fun for a small investment.

— Lynda Case Lambert

A night view of the fair, 1958. FROM THE COLLECTION OF DAN WHETZEL

ABOVE : Unidentified man with horse. COURTESY LARRY C. BENNETT

ABOVE RIGHT: Two boys on the boat ride, carnival Midway, circa 1940s. COURTESY KEVIN KAMAUF

RIGHT: Kiddie chariot ride, circa 1950s. COURTESY KEVIN KAMAUF

ABOVE : Various tickets, 1936 and 1942. COURTESY KEVIN KAMAUF

ABOVE LEFT: 4-H honors presentation, circa 1960s. COURTESY KEVIN KAMAUF

LEFT: Fairgrounds manager Harry Barton (right) at his barn in Rawlings, Md., circa 1960s.

COURTESY KEVIN KAMAUF

CHAPTER FOUR

Around the track

Horse racing has been popular since the early days of the colonies, but it was not organized as a sport until 1743, when Maryland founded the Maryland Jockey Club. Under its auspices, the first organized race was run in 1745 in Annapolis, but the first permanent track was not established in Maryland until 1870, when the milelong track at Pimlico was built in Baltimore. Running the mile became the standard race track length until the Fairgo track was built on the Cumberland Fairgrounds in 1924. It was the first half-mile track in the state.

When the Fairgo track opened, the horses that raced were on what was called the Maryland Fair Circuit. In that first year, the circuit consisted of three tracks: Timonium Race Course in Baltimore County, built in 1879; Marlboro Race Course in Prince George’s County, opened in 1914; and

Fairgo. It is reported that it took up to 16 rail cars for the B&O Railroad to transport the horses from Marlboro to Fairgo, a trip that took 14 hours.

When horses arrived, they faced a “welcome oasis,” according to one source. Tucked into the Appalachians beside the Potomac River, the fairgrounds offered owners, jockeys, trainers and horses not only beautiful surroundings, but, according to the fairgrounds’ website, “seven stables (that held 300 horses), sixteen open-air barns … (a grandstand that held 5,000), a clubhouse, a jockey house, a pavilion at the finish line, and a paddock …”

Held in tandem with the Cumberland Fair, the 10 days of horse racing proved an economic boon to Cumberland and Allegany County for the next 37 years, sometimes packing in 25,000 spectators

even in the early days. By the 1940s and 1950s, daily betting averaged $250,000 and $300,000, according to theracingbiz.com, with the track offering an average of $8,000 per day in purses.

By 1961, however, the need to update the racetrack facilities proved too expensive to continue, and that year saw the last horse racing season. The track’s racing dates moved to Timonium, and the Fairgo track lay dormant.

In 1966, however, John Barton, son of Harry Barton, a one-time general manager of the Cumberland Fairgrounds, affiliated with NASCAR, USAC and ARCA to raise $60,000 for the conversion of the horse track to a car-racing track.

Motorcycle races also were held from 1968 to 1970, but a lack of promoters led to that feature’s demise.

The track closed in 1982; reopened in 1991; faced closure in 2016, but kept going for five years by returning to a dirt track format for stock car racing. Audiences dwindled during the COVID-19 pandemic and racing ended after the 2021 season.

As of early 2024, however, a new promoter has committed to bringing racing back to the track.

—

Lynda Case Lambert

The track was ready by June 19, and the first season included two races: a NASCAR ARCA race and a USAC sprint car race. Three thousand spectators filled the stands for the first race to watch such legendary drivers as Don Branson, Roger McCluskey, Bobby Unser, Arnie Knepper and Mario Andretti.

Jockeys ride their mounts toward the finish line, circa early 1950s. FROM THE COLLECTION OF ALBERT AND ANGELA FELDSTEIN

ABOVE : John Barton, Director of Racing for the Cumberland Raceway presents the winner’s trophy to Larry Palmgren of Freehold, New Jersey, on the front stretch of the racetrack for winning the 10-mile AMA National motorcycle race, May 4, 1969. COURTESY KEVIN KAMAUF

ABOVE RIGHT: Robin Martin and his assistant, from Orchard Lake, Michigan, prepare for the Amateur Race on Pit Road, May 4, 1969.

COURTESY KEVIN KAMAUF

RIGHT: Demolition Derby, Cumberland Fairgrounds, April 21, 1968.

Photograph by Edgar D. Growden. FROM THE COLLECTION OF ALBERT AND ANGELA FELDSTEIN

LEFT: Beginning of motorcycle maids parade during the opening ceremony of the Greater Cumberland Raceways AMA national motorcycle races.

COURTESY KEVIN KAMAUF

BELOW: A Greater Cumberland Raceway souvenir program from 1970.

COURTESY KEVIN KAMAUF

Fairgrounds home to DelFest

Del McCoury was walking the grounds of a place he’d never seen before — the Allegany County Fairgrounds — when he suddenly stopped. He turned to his manager and said, “This feels like the right place.” And with that, DelFest was born. It was 2007 and Del’s management team had been talking with the bluegrass star about having his own festival.

“I didn’t really want all the headaches and things, but they said they could take care of it,” McCoury said.

When McCoury was asked where he’d like the festival to be, he said the midAtlantic region near where he grew up in rural York County, Pennsylvania. McCoury’s storied career in bluegrass got its start in that area, particularly 40 miles south across the border in Baltimore, where he cut his teeth playing shows as a young man.

“That area was kind of a hotbed for bluegrass music in those days,” McCoury said. Roy Carter, who was among the original founders of the High Sierra Music Festival in Quincy, California, which began in 1992,

was brought in to scout some possible locations. He visited several sites in the midAtlantic and narrowed it down to five locations with the Allegany County Fairgrounds at the top of the list.

“I’ve worked with festivals on the West Coast and we’d had great success in working with fairgrounds because there is a lot of infrastructure that comes with them,” Carter said. “They have power, water, restrooms already in place.”

A few dates were scheduled for McCoury to travel to the region and visit the various sites, with the Allegany County Fairgrounds being the first stop. He never ventured any farther. He fell in love with the fairgrounds.

“I looked up and saw the mountains and the (Potomac) river below,” McCoury said.

“You have this beautiful flat area along the river which would be great for campers. It’s beautiful and it felt right.”

The first DelFest took place in 2008. In addition to the Del McCoury Band, performers included Vince Gill, Sam Bush, Béla Fleck, Dierks Bentley, David Grisman

and many more. The four-day festival, which takes place each year on Memorial Day weekend, regularly features about 35 acts.

The fairgrounds offers the family-friendly festival the right amount of space. In addition to the main stage inside the race track oval, a stage — known as the Potomac Stage — sits on the grounds outside the grandstand entrance, while a third stage is located inside the spacious multi-purpose building, allowing festival-goers to dodge the rain or the sun on particularly hot days.

In addition to the festival, the McCoury family has made full use of their week at the fairgrounds by creating the DelFest Academy for budding musicians of all ages. The academy is run by Lisa McCoury, wife of Del’s son Rob, who plays banjo in the Del McCoury Band.

The academy takes place from Sunday through Wednesday of DelFest week and is based in the multi-purpose building, with enrollment capped at about 115 students.

Those enrolled receive lessons, including one-on-one instruction, from several of the

top stars performing at DelFest that week. Instruction is available for guitar, banjo, mandolin, standup bass and fiddle.

Allegany County government and DelFest management have invested in improving the fairgrounds over the years.

Underground drainage was added to prevent puddling during rain, numerous additional utility hookups have been added to expand the number of RV and camper pads, and restrooms were upgraded and improvements were made to the grandstands’ entrance.

“The county has been great to work with the whole way through,” Carter said. “The improvements made not only work for DelFest but for anyone else that’s going to use the facility, too.”

The Allegany County Fairgrounds has become home for one of the most respected family-oriented music festivals in the country, drawing roughly 30,000 to the Cumberland area annually and boosting the local economy in the process.

— Greg Larry

Del McCoury Band performs at DelFest 2023. COURTESY MARC SHAPIRO MEDIA

ABOVE : Dierks Bentley helps to kick off the first DelFest at the Allegany County Fairgrounds in 2008. CUMBERLAND TIMES-NEWS

ABOVE RIGHT: Vince Gill takes the stage at DelFest 2008. CUMBERLAND TIMES-NEWS

OPPOSITE : Stage 2, 2014. CUMBERLAND TIMES-NEWS ARCHIVE

RIGHT: Singer-songwriter Bruce Hornsby performs at DelFest 2014. CUMBERLAND TIMES-NEWS