Southern Iowa Fairgrounds
Entrance to the fairgrounds - image provided by Village Profile
The Southern Iowa Fair is a major attraction for the city of Oskaloosa in late July.
The Southern Iowa Fair was first held on October 23, 1852, in the Oskaloosa city square. The fair included a livestock show that was held outside of town and horse racing was held on a course that is now North G Street. Today, the Southern Iowa Fair includes activities ranging from 4-H and FFA livestock competitions to concerts, harness racing to stockcar racing and a demolition derby.
In 1858 and 1859, the Iowa State Fair was held in Oskaloosa. The fairs were held on an unfenced fairgrounds northwest of Oskaloosa. By 1860, state officials permanently move the state fair to Des Moines.
The southern Iowa Fair features many venues for activities.
Livestock Pavilion
The Southern Iowa Fair Livestock Pavilion is a versatile building - it has been used for events ranging from livestock shows to weddings.
Oskaloosa building contractor P.W. Sparks built the Stock Judging Pavilion at the fairgrounds in 1919. TH pavilion, along with the Iowa State Fair pavilion in Des Moines and the Cattle Congress in Waterloo, are the only ones in the state with a round shape.
The pavilion was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 12, 1984.
The 156-foot by 116-foot, 14-sides polygonal pavilion has a 115-foot by 69-foot show arena. According to the August 18 1919, edition of The Oskaloosa Daily Herald, the pavilion cost $15,000. It was composed of concrete, brick and steel, and it has wooden seats with a capacity for 2,000 people. The bleacher area has wooden floors, and the show arena has a dirt and sand floor.
During the pavilion's lifetime, fair board officials conducted some improvement projects. The cupola was removed in 1945. In 1989, steel siding was installed on the pavilion's exterior. The windows around the top of the building were removed and hinged doors were added for better ventilation and some rewiring work was done.
The Exhibit Hall and the Varied Industry buildings are hubs for activities with many 4-H projects placed in the Exhibit Hall and many booths for local businesses set up in the Varied Industries Building. When they are not in use at fair time, the buildings are rented out for weddings or reunions.