The Merced County Fairgrounds are home to the annual Merced County Fair, the county fair of Merced County, California. The Merced County Fair was first held on September 2, 1891. The first fair was held on 18th Street in Merced and was a joint county fair with neighboring Mariposa County. The Merced County Fair showcases livestock, exhibits, carnival rides, music and fair food each year.
Merced County has held a county fair since 1891, except during 1917 and 1918 (World War I), 1936 (financial issues), 1943 to 1945 (World War II), and 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The first solo Merced County Fair was held on September 14–15, 1929 at the Applegate Park Municipal Baseball Park. Early fairs hosted a rodeo and 4-H youth organization livestock shows. In 1931, the fair moved to its current site at 11th and G streets, now 900 Martin Luther King Jr. Way. In 1937, a parade and a three-day horse racing meeting was added to the fair. The fair closed in 1943 and did not open again till 1946 due to World War II. From 1946 to 2019 & since 2022, the fair has been run by the California Department of Food and Agriculture's 35th District Agricultural Association. The fairgrounds have been used year-round to support other community activities. On the fairgrounds have been the county library branch, a fire station, a school for the mentally handicapped, a preschool program, Merced College, the J. Emmett McNamara Memorial Museum, and Leontine Gracey Elementary School. The fairgrounds are also rented out during the year.[2]
In 2020, the fair was scheduled for June 10–14, but was cancelled by the fair board due to "COVID-19 public health concerns."[3] The 2021 fair, the 130th, was set for June 9–13, but it was again cancelled by the fair Board of Directors and CEO on March 8, 2021. Reasons given were the ongoing uncertainty of COVID-19 and restrictions on large public events.[4] In 2021, the local economic benefit lost to the cancellation of the fair was around US$23 million.[4]
The 130th fair finally resumed in 2022, from 8–12 June, following a pandemic-based hiatus.
After the Assembly Center closed, the fairgrounds were turned over to the 4th Air Service Area Command for supplies and training until 1945; during this time it was known as Camp Merced. For three years Camp Merced was used as the headquarters for and to support the Merced Army Air Field and its auxiliary fields that were used for training new pilots needed for World War II. The 802nd Chemical Company and 1914th Ordnance Ammunition Company, Aviation were also trained at Camp Merced before deployment to the Pacific war.[12][13]
^"Press Room". Merced County Fair. Retrieved 2020-12-08.
^"History". Merced County Fair. Retrieved 2020-12-08.
^Palmer, John (April 21, 2020). "2020 Merced County Fair Cancelled due to COVID-19 Concerns". YourCentralValley.com. Nexstar Media Inc. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
^ ab"2021 Fair Cancelled". Merced County Fair. March 9, 2021. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
^"Merced Speedway in Merced, CA (Google Maps)". Virtual Globetrotting. 2008-11-08. Retrieved 2021-01-25.
^"Merced Speedway". USAC National Midget cars. November 21, 2020. Event occurs at 18:15. FloRacing.
^Marter, Joan (2016-01-01). Women of Abstract Expressionism. Yale University Press. p. 187. ISBN978-0-300-20842-9.
^Beatrice Delja. "CHL # 934.02 Temporary Detention Camp for Japanese Americans/Merced Assembly Center Merced". californiahistoricallandmarks.com. Retrieved 2020-12-08.
^Air Force bases,by Robert Mueller, 1982, Page 398
^"Historic California Posts: Merced Assembly Center - Camp Merced". militarymuseum.org. Retrieved 2020-12-08.
^"National Park Service: Confinement and Ethnicity (Chapter 16)". nps.gov. Retrieved 2020-12-08.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Merced, California.
External linksedit
Mercedian Collection available at Holt-Atherton Special Collections.
January 01, 1970
merced, county, fairgrounds, 29139, 485028, 29139, 485028, merced, county, fair, 1942genrecounty, fairfrequencyannually, days, junelocation, merced, californiayears, active1891, 1916, 1919, 1935, 1937, 1942, 1946, 2019, 2022, fair, during, from, 1917, 1936, ww. 37 17 29 N 120 29 06 1 W 37 29139 N 120 485028 W 37 29139 120 485028 Merced County FairMerced County Fairgrounds in 1942GenreCounty fairFrequencyAnnually for 5 days in JuneLocation s Merced CaliforniaYears active1891 1916 1919 1935 1937 1942 1946 2019 2022 no fair during WWI from 1917 18 1936 WWII from 1943 45 nor 2020 21 due to the COVID 19 pandemic Founded1891Attendance0 in 2020 21 1 Websitemercedcountyfair com The Merced County Fairgrounds are home to the annual Merced County Fair the county fair of Merced County California The Merced County Fair was first held on September 2 1891 The first fair was held on 18th Street in Merced and was a joint county fair with neighboring Mariposa County The Merced County Fair showcases livestock exhibits carnival rides music and fair food each year Contents 1 History 2 Merced Fairgrounds Speedway 3 Camp Merced 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksHistory edit nbsp Phil Vassar country music artist at the Merced County Fair in 2007 Merced County has held a county fair since 1891 except during 1917 and 1918 World War I 1936 financial issues 1943 to 1945 World War II and 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID 19 pandemic The first solo Merced County Fair was held on September 14 15 1929 at the Applegate Park Municipal Baseball Park Early fairs hosted a rodeo and 4 H youth organization livestock shows In 1931 the fair moved to its current site at 11th and G streets now 900 Martin Luther King Jr Way In 1937 a parade and a three day horse racing meeting was added to the fair The fair closed in 1943 and did not open again till 1946 due to World War II From 1946 to 2019 amp since 2022 the fair has been run by the California Department of Food and Agriculture s 35th District Agricultural Association The fairgrounds have been used year round to support other community activities On the fairgrounds have been the county library branch a fire station a school for the mentally handicapped a preschool program Merced College the J Emmett McNamara Memorial Museum and Leontine Gracey Elementary School The fairgrounds are also rented out during the year 2 In 2020 the fair was scheduled for June 10 14 but was cancelled by the fair board due to COVID 19 public health concerns 3 The 2021 fair the 130th was set for June 9 13 but it was again cancelled by the fair Board of Directors and CEO on March 8 2021 Reasons given were the ongoing uncertainty of COVID 19 and restrictions on large public events 4 In 2021 the local economic benefit lost to the cancellation of the fair was around US 23 million 4 The 130th fair finally resumed in 2022 from 8 12 June following a pandemic based hiatus Merced Fairgrounds Speedway edit nbsp Chris Windom s midget car When the fair is not meeting the race track is used for the Merced Fairgrounds Speedway The speedway is a 0 375 mile dirt track that hosts race car midget car and motorcycle racing It previously held a race in NASCAR s premier division during the 1956 NASCAR Grand National Series 5 6 7 Chris Windom won the 2020 National Midget Car Championship at the Merced Fairgrounds Speedway 8 Camp Merced edit After the surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7 1941 the Merced County Fairgrounds was turned into the Merced Assembly Center a detention center for those of Japanese ancestry The center opened on May 6 1942 and closed on September 15 1942 Most of those detained were transferred to a permanent camp Granada War Relocation Center in Colorado President Franklin D Roosevelt authorized the forced relocation of Japanese Americans living on the West Coast with Executive Order 9066 over the fear of more attacks Notable people held at the Merced Assembly Center included artist Emiko Nakano 9 The former Merced Assembly Center is a California Historical Landmark number 934 02 10 11 After the Assembly Center closed the fairgrounds were turned over to the 4th Air Service Area Command for supplies and training until 1945 during this time it was known as Camp Merced For three years Camp Merced was used as the headquarters for and to support the Merced Army Air Field and its auxiliary fields that were used for training new pilots needed for World War II The 802nd Chemical Company and 1914th Ordnance Ammunition Company Aviation were also trained at Camp Merced before deployment to the Pacific war 12 13 See also edit nbsp California portal California Historical Landmarks in Merced County California during World War II References edit Press Room Merced County Fair Retrieved 2020 12 08 History Merced County Fair Retrieved 2020 12 08 Palmer John April 21 2020 2020 Merced County Fair Cancelled due to COVID 19 Concerns YourCentralValley com Nexstar Media Inc Retrieved June 27 2021 a b 2021 Fair Cancelled Merced County Fair March 9 2021 Retrieved June 27 2021 Merced Speedway www mercedspeedway net Retrieved 2021 01 25 CFTA AMA Rd 5 Merced Speedway Pro Am Western Championship www purplepass com Retrieved 2021 01 25 Merced Speedway in Merced CA Google Maps Virtual Globetrotting 2008 11 08 Retrieved 2021 01 25 Merced Speedway USAC National Midget cars November 21 2020 Event occurs at 18 15 FloRacing Marter Joan 2016 01 01 Women of Abstract Expressionism Yale University Press p 187 ISBN 978 0 300 20842 9 Beatrice Delja CHL 934 02 Temporary Detention Camp for Japanese Americans Merced Assembly Center Merced californiahistoricallandmarks com Retrieved 2020 12 08 Air Force bases by Robert Mueller 1982 Page 398 Historic California Posts Merced Assembly Center Camp Merced militarymuseum org Retrieved 2020 12 08 National Park Service Confinement and Ethnicity Chapter 16 nps gov Retrieved 2020 12 08 nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Merced California External links edit Mercedian Collection available at Holt Atherton Special Collections Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Merced County Fairgrounds amp oldid 1188231151 Merced Fairgrounds Speedway, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
