Boone County Fairgrounds

Did you know that Columbia and Boone County were created in 1820 and the first fair was held in 1835? It was the first county fair held west of the Mississippi and first in the Louisiana Territory.

Did you know there have been at least five (5) different fairground locations since the first fair? The first fair held on the current grounds was in 1992.

Did you know there have been six (6) different administrative/governing organizations since the fair started? The current Boone County Agricultural and Mechanical Society was incorporated in 1948.

Did you know that the fair once held “Tournaments of Knights” with actual horseback jousting during the fair? They did it for nearly two decades in the late 1800s.

Did you know that a lady by the name of Virginia Botts (wife of former MU Track Coach, Tom Botts) wrote a more complete Boone County Fair History in 1970? The history was written to be included in “A Boone County Album”, a publication for the sesquicentennials of Columbia and Boone County.