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County Fair officials announced Wednesday that the July event — a five-day celebration of agriculture that attracts thousands of visitors from across the region — is canceled due to the spread of coronavirus.
The first county fair was held in 1947 in Lakewood. It's been held annually since 1982 at Robert J. Miller Park in Berkeley Township.
"It is with heavy heart that we announce the July 8th 2020 Ocean County Fair is CANCELED," organizers wrote in a Facebook post. "Rutgers Cooperative Extension/4H has put a hold on all 4H activities through August. 4H is such a strong partner of the fair that we cannot see a way forward without them this year."
The first annual county fair was held 73 years ago, according to the event's website. By 1967, the fair was extended from one to three days and attracted thousands of attendees. Since 1982, the fair has been held at Robert Miller Airpark in Berkeley Township, where it remains.
The attractions included carnival rides, animal displays and demonstrations, country music performances, pig racing, horse shows and chainsaw carvings.
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The Ocean County Board of Agriculture held the first annual "4-H Achievement and Agricultural Ocean County Field Day" on Sept. 6, 1947, attended by about 500 people. The event was held at Ocean County Park in Lakewood and was organized to celebrate 4-H club work and the agricultural prowess of the region.
By 1967, the single-day "Ocean County Field Day" became a three-day "Ocean County Fair" with the participation of more than 80 4-H clubs, hundreds of exhibitors, scores of concession stands and an attendance of more than 60,000 people.
To accommodate the fair's growth, in 1982 the Ocean County Fair was expanded to a four-day event, and moved to its current location at Robert Miller Airpark. The new location provided two fenced-in horse show rings, more parking, space for amusements and rides, and a more centrally-located site in Ocean County.
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