Missouri State Fair
missouri state fair state fair state missouri operated since sedalia missouri includes daily concert exhibit competition animal homemade craft show many foodlemonade stand last day fairground located w th street southwest side city intersection west th street state highway south limit avenue u highway missouri state fair attendance people n h gentry sedalia persuaded missouri swine breeder association request missouri general assembly establish state fair resolution fair introduced ce clark state considered locating fair centralia chillicothe marshall mexico moberly sedalia city made offer amount land would commit fair ten ballot sedalia received majority vote bid acre km land city devoted fairground van riper family set land aside location missouri state capitol jefferson city missouri also donated site sedalia first missouri state fair held september – one distinctive aspect early fair white city acre tent rent exhibitor odessa ice cream official ice cream missouri state fair state fair held first world war canceled second world war u senator harry truman chose missouri state fair place formally launch campaign reelection senate shortly collapse pendergast machine speech fair july truman strongly endorsed new deal including equality african american chose state fair although sedalia deep ku klux klan country fairground struck f tornado august considerable damage along path one person killed others injured fairground hosted ozark music festival july – rivaled woodstock festival size notorious chaos mismanagement although ticket sold estimated crowd people showed five portable toilet site several hundred drug overdoses attendee raided nearby cow pig food hosted wolfman jack festival includes band including eagle aerosmith joe walsh nitty gritty dirt band marshall tucker band reo speedwagon lynyrd skynyrd ted nugent fairground trashed week state fair causing approximately damage fairground raising concern fair might canceled cleanup effort state fair able go forward planned festival later investigated missouri highway patrol select committee missouri state senate select senate committee investigating rock festival said festival disaster made degradation sodom gomorrah appear mild state fair canceled due covid pandemic event held youth livestock event state fair returned attendance attended missouri state fairground historic district listed national register historic place encompasses contributing building contributing site contributing structure contributing object district developed includes representative example art deco mission revival romanesque revival architecture include several red brick exposition hall animal barn concrete drinking fountain constructed work progress administration concession building fair overseen missouri state fair commission appoints director state fair commission consists nine member eight appointed commissioner plus director missouri department agriculture serf ex officio nine member board two member required active farmer two required serve served president county fair regional fair board one member must agribusiness employee eight appointed commissioner four commissioner may belong political party two commissioner may reside congressional district mathewson exhibition center missouri state fair speedway richard gaskell missouri state fair image midwestern tradition university missouri press official website