The event known to us today as the “Great Frederick Fair” was originally organized in the early 1800s by the Frederick County Agricultural Society as a cattle show and competition with the goal of promoting the livestock producers of Frederick County and to bring together producers of all sorts of farm commodities in one place to buy, sell, barter, trade, and share…
Today, the fair is representational of this original event, but has grown into an organization that brings the whole community together to share and learn from one another with an emphasis on educational programs such as 4H and Future Farmers of America (FFA). And In their efforts to nurture said programs, The Great Frederick fair has honed the skill of using entertainment to promote education and outreach for the agricultural industry.
Attendees to the Frederick County Fair, on average, 230,000 of them, are greeted with such a kaleidoscope of sights, sounds, smells and tastes that they are blissfully unaware that they are being educated. Since all commercial entities have the job of educating, what businesses can learn from the fair is that by making education look more like fun and entertainment you can engage a much larger audience.
As the owner or manager of a business, you set the tone – enthusiasm for your product of service will transfer to your customers, transforming indifference into interest. You don’t have to fry Oreos and make funnel cake to get people’s attention but if you exhibit the sort of delight for your business that is exhibited at the fair, you will make a connection with the public.
This year marks the 154th Great Frederick Fair, taking place, as it has since 1867, on the 21 acres of land located at 797 East Patrick Street. Take some time to visit today, enjoy some “fair food”, talk to future farmers, and while you are there, think about ways to make your business more engaging, more like entertainment.
Want to talk to some entertainment experts? Call Manning Media Inc. in Frederick at 301-620-7700, in Hagerstown at 301-733-4500 or fill out our online request form by clicking HERE!
Learning from the Fair
