Senate Resolution No. 957
BY: Senator WEBB
COMMEMORATING the 150th Anniversary of the Broome
County Fair
WHEREAS, Fairs and festivals empower communities to attract new
visitors while capitalizing on local commercial and cultural value; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize and
support events of significance which contribute to the entertainment and
vitality of the communities they serve and which exemplify the history
and development of the State of New York; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to
commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the Broome County Fair to be held
Tuesday, July 22, through Sunday, July 27, 2025; and
WHEREAS, In 1858, the Broome County Agricultural Society was
incorporated; in 1871, the Society's Board convened to arrange the first
county fair to celebrate the agricultural bounty of Broome County; for
the first three years, the Broome County Fair was held at the Johnson
Fairgrounds; and
WHEREAS, For the next decade, the Broome County Fair was held in
Binghamton, New York; in 1891, the Fair returned to its Whitney Point
location which has been its home ever since; and
WHEREAS, Attractions at the Broome County Fair have varied widely,
reflecting the evolving history of our country; in 1908, a balloonist
was hired to make three ascensions with a parachute; in 1915, a
barn-storming airplane came to Whitney Point, with arrangements with the
Fair's officials, to take passengers for short flights, one of whom was
the well-known opera singer, Julia Allen; and
WHEREAS, In the 1930s, public weddings were featured at the Broome
County Fair; each couple was given $100 and flowers, and a minister was
provided; in 1934, the Fair opened with a baseball game, pitting the
Brooklyn Royal Giants against the nationally famous House of David;
Grover Cleveland Alexander, a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, and
one of baseball's greatest pitchers, pitched for the House of David,
attracting a very large crowd; and
WHEREAS, The internationally famous Captain Fox and his Rough
Riders, New York State Police on horses, were an occasional attraction;
for several years, truck pulls, tractor pulls, draft horse shows,
demolition derbies, and horse races have been the main attractions; many
famous entertainers have performed at the Broome County Fair throughout
its history; and
WHEREAS, The facilities, including spectator stands, barns, ticket
booths, and other buildings, have changed through the many decades the
Broome County Fair has existed; in 1909, the annual $350 lease agreement
of the Fairgrounds was discontinued when the 31-acre parcel of land was
purchased for $100 per acre; and
WHEREAS, The Midway was larger than ever by 1916; high wire, comedy,
and aerial acts were featured that year; nighttime attractions were
added in 1929; the Gillette Shows were introduced in 1981, remaining as
a regular attraction; the following year, the first Special Kids Day was
created to bring children with special needs and their support staff,
1,000 people in all, to the fair; this number has expanded to nearly
3,000; and
WHEREAS, The Broome County Fair has enlightened, entertained, and
enriched the Whitney Point, New York, community, its residents, and its
visitors for 150 years; many generations of participants and spectators
have enjoyed the attractions and shows provided by the Broome County
Agricultural Society; and
WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to recognize and
commend those organizations which have brought entertainment and
cultural enrichment to the citizens of the State of New York; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the Broome County Fair; and be it
further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to the Broome County Agricultural Society.
