Verde Valley Fair runs through Sunday, May 1

The annual Verde Valley Fair kicks off Wednesday, April 27, and runs through Sunday, May 1. 

Verde Valley Fair Hours

Wednesday, April 27, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Thursday, April 28, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Friday, April 29, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Saturday, April 30, 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Sunday, May 1, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Tickets

Tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for children ages 6 to 12.

Seniors get in free Thursday, $5 Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

All Wednesday tickets are $3.

Location

800 East Cherry Street Cottonwood, AZ 86326. Call (928) 634-3290 for more information.

The Verde Valley Fair

While maybe not as flashy as some of the mega-theme parks that have popped up in recent history, the fair is a tradition that dates back centuries and in this country has evolved a character all its own. The events are more local and bring communities together. According to Time Magazine, 150 million Americans are drawn to fairs each year.

But for all the unique regional flavors of the fair based on geography and culture, agriculture has always remained at the heart of rural fairs in America.

They’ve always been a gathering place for those who make their living off the land, either by crops and livestock. In addition to being a venue to see which local folks can make the most delicious pies and who has the finest preserves this side of a mason jar, it’s always a place to trade animals and the latest in scientific techniques. While this is the 44th annual Verde Valley Fair, this fertile with a history of farming and grazing area has had fairs in one form or another dating back long before that.

An account of the 1913 Verde Valley Fair taken from an entomology journal shows that even 100 years ago, fruit growers in the valley were working with the state government and the University of Arizona to learn the most modern scientific ways known at the time to keep insects from damaging the trees.

While the people who went to that fair might not have had access to a tilt-a-whirl, it was still something that could entertain the entire community while serving a practical purpose as well by promoting agriculture.

Today, there are still groups that promote the agricultural heart of the fair, groups like 4-H and FFA that work to encourage young people to get interested in agriculture and promote responsible practices.

Originally founded in the 1920s as Future Farmers of America, the group dropped that name a couple of decade back in favor of simply calling itself FFA. Even with a new name, the group maintained its dedication to promote agriculture education.

While the mission of groups like these dovetail nicely with the agricultural mission of the fair, not every person is going to have an interest in farming and raising livestock.

As the population has grown more diverse, so have the creative outlets offered by the fair. Aside from looking as some fine specimens of beef, this year’s fair offers the opportunity to compete in everything from various disciplines of the fine arts and horseback riding to sewing and Lego model building.

But it’s there among the animals in the ring that’s closest to the original heart of the celebration.

Verde Valley Fair’s Long History

The Verde Valley Fair Association was organized in 1949 by the Verde Valley Land and Development Company, a cooperative consisting of 15 local families who purchased the site of the Clemenceau Smelter and nearby pasture.

The group donated between 60 and 70 acres for the construction of a permanent race track, baseball park and rodeo grounds. The land was donated to the Verde Valley Fair Association with the stipulation that it be used for recreational purposes or revert back to the land development company.

In 1950, the first building to go up on the fairgrounds was a set of race horse stalls. One of the first big horse races was between Otto Boler’s Verde Girl and Dave Murdock’s Playboy. The identity of the winner of the first race is lost to history.

Horse racing declined after the election of Dave Palmer as Yavapai County Attorney that same year. He kept his promise to eliminate gambling in the county.

Beginning in 1953, the Verde Valley Fair Association was administered by the Verde Valley Rangers, which operated the first rodeo. The same year, Merle Crawford, a teacher at Cottonwood High School, organized the first FFA calf sale in the city. Sponsored by the Cottonwood Lion’s Club, the sale was held in Old Town and became an annual event.

The first official Verde Valley Fair was held in Old Town in 1965. The FFA calf sale helped local FFA members avoid the long trip to Prescott to sell their stock, Shanks said. The calves were exhibited in the baseball field behind Cottonwood Civic Center and the American Legion Hall was used for 4-H exhibits.

In 1966, the fair association was reorganized and the Verde Valley Fair was moved to the fairgrounds where it continues to the present day.

The first livestock barn was built at the fairgrounds in 1967, but heavy winter snows that year caused it to collapse. Yavapai County subsidized construction of its replacement.

The current show and sale barn was built in 1982. In 1986, four acres were sold on Aspen Street to finance improvements to the fairgrounds. The commercial exhibit barn was built in 1986 and the office building and fencing of the perimeter were completed in 1987.

For photos, see the Wednesday, May 4, edition of the Cottonwood Journal Extra.