History of The Cornish Fair

Little did anyone imagine back in 1949 that a penny jamboree that summer would grow to be the vibrant and exciting event that the Cornish Fair has become today, or what an important part of the summer season it now is in Sullivan County and the Twin State Valley.

In 1949 a number of Cornish residents believed the town needed to build a central school to replace a network of one-room schools, some almost a century old, that were scattered across the township.

But people wanted to see what a central school might look like and that meant floor plans and drawings needed to be put on paper. There was no money appropriated by the town or the school district to pay for the services of an architect, so folks set to work to raise funds to get the school project moving.

Down through the years the Cornish Fair has been fortunate to have had many officers and directors with vision and commitment to preserving and promoting the agricultural dimension of the fair. And most fairgoers will agree that without agriculture at the forefront a fair isn’t much of a fair.

Other aspects of the Cornish Fair have evolved and changed with the times. For years it was a two-day fair, then it expanded to the present three-day schedule. Attractions and entertainment now are quite different from a half century ago, but the emphasis remains on providing wholesome, safe and pleasurable activities for fairgoers to enjoy.

The Cornish Fair has continued true to its roots in its reliance on volunteers to make it successful. All of the fair’s management are volunteers, and volunteers working without compensation for the overall benefit of the fair handle much of the actual operations of the fair, just as was the case when the Penny Jamboree was put on way back in 1949. And the Cornish Fair continues to give back to the community through its scholarship program and support of community betterment.

Around Cornish and elsewhere in the Twin State Valley it’s possible to find people who have attended every Cornish Fair held since the beginning, and they agree it’s always been a fine occasion to celebrate life in our part of the world.