The hundreds of thousands of visitors expected to flock to the 179th edition of the incomparable Canfield Fair this week have an enduring debt of gratitude to pay to one Elisha Whittlesey.

You see, Whittlesey, a Canfield lawyer, renegade Whig Party loyalist, U.S. House representative and comptroller of the U.S. Treasury under former Presidents Zachary Taylor and Abraham Lincoln, made his longest lasting impact on Mahoning Valley life and culture not as a statesman in the nation’s capital but rather as the founding father of the Mahoning County Agriculture Society’s Grand Annual Fair, better known these days as the Canfield Fair.

Of course, by today’s standards, many would hardly consider Whittlesey’s inaugural exposition all that grand. It featured 250 oxen, 51 full-blooded cattle, 44 draft horses, 64 saddle and carriage horses, 37 sheep and 56 hogs. It also showcased an experimental futuristic device called “Blodgett’s Sewing Machine” and a newly patented combo shower-bath.

From those austere beginnings, the fair steadily grew in size and stature, hitting attendance milestones of 500,000 in the 1970s. Today, it ranks as the largest county fair in Ohio and third largest in the United States, featuring 60 buildings, including a 6,500-seat grandstand, on 353 expansive acres.

But just as in 1846, the 2025 Canfield Fair blends the best of traditional farm fare with the latest in state-of-the-art forward-thinking flair. We’re confident that diverse mix will pave the way for yet another successful and enriching six-day run Wednesday through Labor Day.

Fair organizers have much to rightly crow about when it comes to improvements at this year’s event. New at the 2025 Canfield Fair are significant infrastructure enhancements, including a new entryway (Gate 9-A) to ease traffic flow from ongoing construction work on the nearby Ohio Turnpike bridge, improved WiFi and internet connectivity and new capital improvements such as a new flagpole near the Government Building.

Fair Manager Skye Tancer noted a number of tech upgrades to this year’s event as well, including the introduction of Show Works, a program that tracks fair entries and awards more efficiently; streamlined and convenient online registration for the hundreds of vendors and the introduction of electronic kiosks at Gates A, D and 4 where tickets can be purchased with ease and potentially long admission lines can be bypassed.

Of course, much of what draws so many from near and far to the Canfield Fairgrounds this week is steeped in tradition. Among them are the lavish grandstand concerts, which this year will feature country superstar Brad Paisley on Sunday night and rock legend Lynyrd Skynyrd on Monday night.

Traditional staples of the grandstand, including “the world’s largest” demolition derby Friday night and a championship truck and tractor pull Saturday night, also will energize thousands of fans.

Throughout the run of the fair, Valley history will be on full display at the Western Reserve Historical Village where visitors literally can step into a country store, a church, a schoolhouse, a library, a blacksmith’s shop and more — all from more than a century ago.

Collectively, the hard yearlong work of Tancer, her 17 fair board directors and fairgrounds staff will once again renew its hallowed legacy as the highlight of late summer in the region.

As Tancer aptly put it, “The Canfield Fair is more than just an event — it is the heart of the Mahoning Valley.”

But as we ponder the past, present and future of the fair, its primary assets transcend time. Just as in 1846, the Canfield Fair remains at its core a celebration of the important role agriculture plays in Mahoning County.

As tens of thousands stroll the midways, they will have ample opportunities to appreciate local farmers. At Canfield Fair time — and all the time through the year — 21st century farmers continue to provide nutritious food for our tables and vital fuel for our local economy.

So as we visit this year’s Grand Annual Fair and treat ourselves to all of its joyful amusements and tantalizing food fare, we would do well to remember that where it’s been, where it’s now and where it’s going remain deeply embedded in Mahoning County’s rich agrarian roots.