The Highland County Fair continued its exciting growth in 1956 by adding an extra day to the festivities — officially becoming a four-day celebration of community, creativity, and country life.
Kicking off on Wednesday, August 29 with a lively Fair Dance, the event set the tone for what would become a jam-packed schedule of music, contests, exhibits, and local pride.
Thursday, August 30 was exhibit day, with all entries in place by 11 a.m. and 4-H exhibits judged before lunchtime. The annual parade stepped off from Monterey High School at 12:30 p.m., winding its way down Spruce Street, across Main Street, and down Route 220 to the fairgrounds at the Livestock Market. The Franklin High School Band brought their signature sound with performances at 3:30 and 8:00 p.m. — bookending the day with a musical flourish.
Friday, August 31 brought even more judging — the Horse Show at 2 p.m., and the Blue Grass Song Birds serenading the crowd at 6:30 p.m. The evening program kicked off at 7:30, keeping fairgoers entertained into the night.
Saturday wrapped up the festivities with a full day: judging in the morning, the Dog Show at 10 a.m., and the popular Jousting Tournament at 1:30 p.m. Additional entertainment sessions were held at 3:30 and 8:00 p.m., sending the 1956 fair out on a high note.
Admission for 1956 was a bargain by today’s standards:
- Adults: 60 cents
- Children (ages 6–14): 25 cents
- Season Pass: $1.50 (parking included!)
Big Expansions in Exhibits and Entries
The exhibit classes saw a big boost in 1956, with more opportunities for participants to show off their skills, creativity, and agricultural know-how. In addition to standard classes like fat steers, fat lambs, and various breeds of sheep, new additions included:
- Maple syrup and sugar
- A new photography section
- A farm crop exhibit, complete with bundles of hay, small grains, potatoes, field corn stalks, and garden vegetables
4-H, FFA, and FHA project entries included everything from homemade first aid kits to food preservation, clothing and grooming, and even exhibits on keeping Highland clean and safe. First-place winners in farm crop classes took home a tidy $10 prize!
Floats, Fair Dogs, and a Picture-Perfect Day
The Dog Show was back and continued to charm spectators. The parade float competition drew a lot of cheers, with Blue Grass School taking first place, High’s Restaurant rolling in second with an old-fashioned surrey, and the local FFA Chapter placing third.
The fairgrounds came alive with the sights and sounds of Miami Valley Amusements out of South Shore, Kentucky. Their rides and concessions brought big smiles to little faces. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, the Board of Directors worked hard to improve the fairgrounds — including authorizing the purchase of 1,000 feet of lumber to build a new ticket booth.
Best of all? The weather was nearly perfect. As reported in The Highland Recorder, the fair was “well on its way to becoming a county institution,” and fair officials were “amazed at the large turnout on Saturday night.”
Leading the Way in 1956
The dedicated team behind the 1956 fair included:
- President: Glen Hammer
- Vice President: E.C. Devericks
- Secretary: E.B. Jones Jr.
- Treasurer: Betty Hansel
- General Manager: Terry Hicks
- Assistant General Manager: W.B. Schooler
The Board of Directors consisted of:
- Alfred Blagg
- A. Lee Lockridge
- W.C. Snyder
- George Swecker
- W.B. Schooler
- W.H. McGuffin
- H.H. Terry
- Glen Hammer
- Ralph Lohr
- Ethel High
- Gaye Osborne
- James Testerman
With hard work, new ideas, and picture-perfect weather, the 1956 Highland County Fair continued to grow into a beloved tradition — and left folks already looking forward to next year’s celebration.