Holmes County Fair celebrates 100 years in style
All eyes were glued to the huge video screen in the expo center at Harvest Ridge, where the inaugural airing of the 100th anniversary of the Holmes County Fair video was shown on opening day of the Holmes County Fair.
It takes a great deal of work to boil down 100 years of history into a five-minute video, but a lot of hard work and diligence paid off at this year’s Holmes County Fair when a united effort to celebrate the Holmes County Fair’s 100 years sprang to life.
A century of Holmes County Fair history was on display on Monday, Aug. 7 when a large crowd came to the Holmes County Fair at Harvest Ridge, invading the expo center to witness a video that captured the last 100 years of the Holmes County Fair.
The video was produced by Bronson Allison, owner and producer of LiveMore TV. Members of the Holmes County Historical Society helped with research, and it received a narrative voiceover from Mark Lonsinger.
The five-minute video captured the spirit of the fair from its inception to today, showing moments such as the move to Harvest Ridge, the flooding of the former fairgrounds and other significant moments that have defined the fair for one century.
Current Holmes County Senior Fair Board President Kerry Taylor spoke about the many people who made the video possible and also commended the many people throughout the past century who have helped build and mold the fair into the achievement it is today.
“To the many board members, volunteers, sponsors and participants, I extend my heartfelt appreciation to your dedication and hard work in making this fair a resounding success year after year,” Taylor said. “Today, we get to enjoy this fair at this beautiful facility that we call Harvest Ridge. We are so privileged to live in a community that is so generous with money, time and in-kind contributions that make Harvest Ridge what it is today.”
The audience watched as the past came alive one photo at a time, depicting the fair decades ago when it was held first at the old airport in Millersburg, then in the center of Millersburg at the courthouse and to the land on the west edge of town, then through the many young people who have helped build the junior fair portion of this fair into one of the most supported and decorated junior fairs in the state.
Allison did a wonderful job of bringing the fair’s history to life, showcasing everything that has made the fair what it is today, including the good times and the struggles.
“It’s hard to recap such a rich history in just five minutes, but with help of area professionals, the video is incredible,” Taylor said. “I know the first time I watched the video I had some very strong emotions as I watched. I hope you all feel the same way as you take in this video.”
Mark Boley, director of the Holmes County Historical Society, said it was exciting to see all of his group’s hard work come together to create the short film. He said it was a total team effort, from gathering the research to the voiceover work. However, when it came to getting someone to craft the video, he said there was never any doubt as to where they should turn.
“There was only one person we ever considered for the video,” Boley said. “That was Bronson. He’s worked for us before, and he’s fantastic, and it all came together.”
Boley said seeing the reactions of the people was as exciting as seeing the video itself being shown.
Allison said he was honored to create this piece of Holmes County history, and he is thrilled to be a part of something meaningful to his home county.
“I love where I live, and I’m proud of where I come from, and I’m always happy to do what I can to show off where we live,” Allison said.
He said the research was immense, and he learned a great deal in fashioning the video together through the years. He said he never knew about all of the struggles that accompanied the fair’s history.
Then in typical Holmes County positive outlook style, Taylor capped off the celebration.
“We hope you enjoy this year’s fair at Harvest Ridge as we kick off the next century, the next 100 years of the Holmes County Fair,” Taylor said.