Dubbed the “Great Fair” in 1918, the Walworth County Fair is one of the largest in the United States. The fair festivities have been summer’s final fling and a chance to welcome the coming autumn for generations of local residents and
visitors alike. Each Labor Day weekend, thousands of enthusiasts from across the Midwest flock to the city of Elkhorn; in early years, 19 special trains even shuttled visitors from southeastern Wisconsin and every town along the length of the state line. Through a collection of 200 vintage images, author Taylor Pipes details the fair’s rich history from its founding in 1851 to the present. Photographs depict celebration and fire, 4–H judging and
showing animals, and the rides and food booths that form an integral backdrop for any fair.
visitors alike. Each Labor Day weekend, thousands of enthusiasts from across the Midwest flock to the city of Elkhorn; in early years, 19 special trains even shuttled visitors from southeastern Wisconsin and every town along the length of the state line. Through a collection of 200 vintage images, author Taylor Pipes details the fair’s rich history from its founding in 1851 to the present. Photographs depict celebration and fire, 4–H judging and
showing animals, and the rides and food booths that form an integral backdrop for any fair.
