For more than 115 years, the Missouri State Fair has been a family tradition. When the 2017 Farm kicks off Aug. 10, perhaps there has never been a more appropriate theme in the history of the Fair than this years’ “Come Home.”
“This (the State Fair) is who we are,” said Wendy Faulconer, executive director of the Missouri State Fair Foundation. “This is the one place where families return to year after year.
“The Fair represents so much more to the individuals and families who are members of the Foundation,” Faulconer explained. “It represents our family history and is the one place where grandparents and parents, kids and grandkids return to year after year have in many cases done so for 40 or more years.”
The Fair is an opportunity for all Missourians to reconnect with their roots, celebrate their heritage and showcase their accomplishments — quite simply it is a place where memories are made, according to Faulconer.
“The majority of our members are exhibitors, former exhibitors and farm families,” Faulconer said. “They have deep, deep feelings for Missouri agriculture and believe the Fair is an integral part of their family’s legacy … having shaped their individual character and shared memories and traditions.
“Most of them have been coming here every year for their entire life,” she added. “The Fair is very personal to them … it means so much more to them than just an 11-day carnival/concert/cotton candy venue.”
They attend for the agricultural experience, Faulconer said.
“The primary purpose of both the Fair and the Foundation is to promote agriculture and the economic importance of the industry to our state but it is also to celebrate the family traditions that are developed as a part of that experience,” Faulconer said. “Since the Fair’s beginning we have been providing families the opportunity to come together and build those memories, now we need to work toward ensuring that those opportunities are there for future generations.
“The Fairgrounds are in use year-round and not just for the 11 days the Fair is hosted in August,” she added. “I don’t think people realize just how much the grounds are in use or that the General Assembly does not allocate any general revenue funds for the fairgrounds.”
Another fact that many do not realize is that the state fairgrounds are home to 64 buildings and structures that are on the historical register, many of which are in need of attention.
This year the Foundation focused much of its attention to the Swine Barns, improving the North Show Ring, new placing pens, new staging pens, renovated wash areas and ADA bleachers.
“We have a great partnership with the Fair,” Faulconer said. “They do a great deal of the maintenance and labor on the grounds but we also rely on donations, our volunteers and our Foundation members.
“When we choose the projects we focus on each year the decisions are based upon the needs of exhibitors and the economic impact of the off-season events,” she explained.
Last year, more than 250 individuals volunteered to help the Foundation at the 11-day event and Faulconer said she hopes to see that number increase this year as well as the number of members to the Foundation itself.
“The people who become members of the Foundation are people who deeply care about the fair and its future,” Faulconer commented. “They do so in spite of the politics because it has relevance to them.
“They care about this place and what happens here and they see the bigger picture,” she added. “They recognize and see the values that are developed here in the youth who exhibit including the character, leadership, confidence and respect for others that comes from the exhibiting process.”
Falconer added that developing agrarian values and the relationships between individuals who may be competitors in the ring and but respect one other are also lessons taught through the Fair and the off-season events hosted at the State Fairgrounds.
“We are hoping that through the Foundation our members will leave a foundation for four more future generations as others have done for them,” Faulconer reflected. “We hope they will add to the opportunities to provide the same privileges and opportunities as the last four generations have done for them.
“Anyone who becomes a member should know that they can earmark where their membership goes,” she added. “They want to know that it contributes to the lasting legacy of the Fair and its permanent place in history.”
There are several ways individuals may contribute to the Foundation. One way is by supporting an individual/family membership or becoming a farm/business partner.
A second opportunity exists by purchasing tickets to the 12th annual Missouri State Fair Foundation “Cultivating the Future” benefit dinner and auction hosted Aug. 9, one day prior to the opening of the 2017 Missouri State Fair.
Advanced reservations for the event are required and both those and memberships to the Foundation may be made by calling Faulconer at 660-530-5620 or by visiting mostatefairfoundation.net.
