CENTRE HALL — The Centre County Grange Fair is back for another year, marking the fair’s 150th anniversary from Friday, Aug. 16, through Saturday, Aug. 24. To celebrate the milestone of 150 years, a special film, “Grange Fair: Celebrating 150 Years,” will premiere. The documentary, sponsored by the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau, will start at 8:30 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 18, at the fairgrounds’ grandstand.
“In a world where time stands still and memories are woven into the back of our lives, there exists a place where tradition reigns supreme,” the trailer for the documentary noted. “Journey with us to the Centre County Grange Fair, where generations come together to celebrate the timeless beauty of community, culture and camaraderie.”
The film features a glimpse into the rich 150-year history of the Grange Fair, including stories from fairgoers and what the annual tradition means to them.
“Join us as we journey through 150 years of tradition, laughter and memories. This summer, experience the magic of the Centre County Grange Fair, where memories are made and the legacy continues,” the trailer said.
Beginning in 1874, the fair has typically been held every year for a week in August. The camping aspect of the Grange Fair is what the Centre County tradition is most known for.
“Experience the wonder and excitement that is the Centre County Grange Fair every August,” the 2024 fair brochure said. “With a 150-year history, the fair is a home-away-from-home to families in 1,000 tents and 1,500 RV’s. It is the only remaining tenting fair in the nation.”
According to the Centre County Encyclopedia of History and Culture, the first iteration of the Grange Fair was held on Sept. 24, 1874, near Centre Hall in Leech’s Woods. It was put on by a local man, Leonard Rhone. Rhone invited members of the local Granges to his event, where about 3,000 guests attended what was coined as the “Granger’s Pic-nik.”
Eventually moving to the 26-acre location that was Grange Park in 1890, the site is now 264 acres. Grange Park officially opened to the public in 1891.
“The fair originated as a local extension of the national Grange mission,” Matt Swayne wrote in the Centre County Encyclopedia of History and Culture in 2021. “In 1867, the Patrons of Husbandry, or Grange, organized as a national movement to improve the economic well-being of farmers, a group particularly hard hit by the aftermath of the Civil War and a later economic downturn.”
The tenting and camping aspect was introduced to the fair in 1877 when the Pennsylvania National Guard lent Grange Fair organizers the tents. Increasing from 18 tents in 1877 to 200 tents in 1910, the tents became more advanced with wooden floors, benches, a bunk and a table.
Tents are now passed down generationally, with some even dating back to the roots of the annual fair.
The Centre County Grange Fair soon became a beloved tradition, thriving over the decades to come, including during wartime, economic disruptions and weather-related disasters. The Grange Fair has only been canceled twice in its 150-year history — first in 1943 due to World War II gasoline rationing and again in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, kids under the age of 18 were prohibited from attending the fair in 1917 because of a polio outbreak.
Continuously growing, at the 140th Grange Fair in 2014 organizers announced that the fair would be moved up a week and going from seven days to nine. The beloved yearly tradition now features amusement park rides, games, food, livestock shows and much more, bringing in $16 to $20 million to the local economy every year, according to the Grange Fair.
Centre County Grange Fair will celebrate its 150th anniversary this year from Friday, Aug. 16, through Saturday, Aug. 24, at the fairgrounds in Centre Hall. Move-in day for the campers is Wednesday, Aug. 15. Guests are invited to learn more about the rich and unique history of the fair in a viewing of the celebratory documentary on Sunday, Aug. 18.
