Fair 2005 Intro -- 60th Annual Collinsville Tri-County Fair -- Collinsville, OKlahoma

General 2005 Fair Information
Celebrating 60 Years	On August 18th a reception will be held honoring former fair board members and volunteers.
Fair Day Parade	Aug.20th 10a.m. Contact Ellis Holly 855-0292 to participate.
Outdoor Booth Space	Contact Marie Gillespie 371-5710
Family / Youth / 4-H Exhibits	All will be housed in the Veteran's Building.
Volunteers Needed	Contact Sam Weygandt 371-2425
Founder's Day Activities	Sponsored by the Collinsville Chamber of Commerce ...Main Street will be closed from 11th to 7th streets much of the day ... and be filled with activities for fun and refreshments.
Fair Books & T-Shirts	Fair Books (with detailed schedules and rules) are available at local banks and the Library. A limited number of 60th Anniversary Tri-County Fair T-Shirts will be available from the banks and Fair Board members.
Carnival	Toby's Carnival will be at the Fair Wed-Sun. on 10th Street (from Main to Center).
Possible Activtities After Fair Book Printing	Check the Collinsville News or this website for additional activities or schedule changes.

Celebrating Sixty Years of the Collinsville Tri-County Fair
-- By Susan Worstell (2005)

The first discussions relating to a 'community fair' began in the mid 1940s. Through the joint efforts of the Chamber of Commerce and the Kiwanis Club, the Collinsville Community Fair (Little World's Fair) became a reality. O. H. Holman was named president of the fair organization. Ernest Liggett and Louis Keith were chosen to represent the Kiwanis Club while the Chamber of Commerce named Sol Bayouth and O. H. Bartlett to be on the newly formed board. Vocational Agriculture instructor, Paul Latture, handled promotions; C. H. Wright served as the publicity man and Hayward Smith, local dairyman, was named to the board. The board voted to sell advertising in the fair premium book to pay the expenses of the fair. The Collinsville News, owned by the Wright family, printed the fair book until 1984.

That first year (1946) the livestock exhibits were housed in the Collinsville Community Sale Barn with such astonishing results that it was immediately made an annual affair. Emphasis was placed on Collinsville being the best dairy farming area in Oklahoma, thus the title: "Collinsville, Dairy Capital of Oklahoma." Promoting Collinsville went hand in hand with the Tri-County Fair. In 1946, Johnny Lee Wills and his band appeared for a live KVOO broadcast. Sam Schneider, KVOO Farm Reporter, also did his live noon broadcast from the fair grounds. In July 1947, grounds were secured and work on the livestock buildings began. A thirty-seven page fair book was published. The area and title were expanded to take in more territory. The name given was the Collinsville Tri-County Fair, which included Tulsa, Rogers, and Washington Counties.

In these sixty years, Many community-minded individuals have served on the fair board. As with many small town fairs, exhibits and interest have declined in the last few years as agriculture no longer plays an important role in the local economy. Last year, to boost attendance at the junior livestock shows, area sponsors contributed added money. Many expressed an interest in having a Goat Show this year. This new event will take place Saturday Aug. 20th, Overall, we anticipate more junior livestock exhibitors than in recent years.

With the support of a dedicated fair board, out faithful advertisers, volunteers and exhibitors, the Tri-County Fair will continue. We encourage you to come and support our Fair by entering exhibits, visiting our livestock shows, viewing the family exhibits and taking part in special events. Your participation is vital to the continuation of this annual summer event! See you at the Fair!

2005 Superintendents
4-H	Deb Lutz
Beef and Steer	Bryan Taylor
Dog Show	Deb Lutz
Family Department	Sam Weygandt
Goat Show	Lacie Dean
Rabbit Show	Deb Lutz
Sheep	Curtis Carter
Swine	George Roberts
Tractor Driving	Steve Branen
Tractor Pull	Steve Branen, Ellis Holly

					Parade (Sorry No Dog Show Photos)
Exhibits	Swine Show	Sheep Show	Rabbit/Beef Shows	Tractors	Combat Team