Canadian County Free Fair
History
The El Reno Chamber of Commerce organized the Canadian County Fair Association on June 27, 1914. The object of the association was to hold annual fairs and exhibitions and entertainments for the purpose of developing the various resources of Canadian County and the education, refinement and general betterment of the people, also to give businessmen the chance to show the farmers their real appreciation of their cooperation to make Canadian County the first in the State.
The first county fair was held on September 16,17 and 18, 1914. The Convention Hall on Rock Island was used to display the agriculture exhibits and the livestock was shown in the large brick livery barn on Bickford.
The most unique feature on Saturday of that year was the skillet-throwing contest, in which the women demonstrated their marksmanship. The men participated in a horse-shoe pitching contest.
In 1945 the City of El Reno sold some of its city owned property, which included the 7 1/2 acres of the faire grounds. The money was used to purchase a storage building for city trucks and machinery.
In the fall of 1954 the county fair board purchased a piece of land west of El Reno, just north of the Thunderbird Coliseum. It had two concrete structures on the land. A livestock barn was erected in time for the 1955 Canadian County Free Fair. It was the first time the county held a county fair, since it reverted to the junior fair in 1932. The coliseum was used for displaying exhibits.
