PEA RIDGE — From the Pea Ridge Graphic - July 13, 1967
The annual fair was begun in 1950 when Pea Ridge celebrated its centennial with a gigantic homecoming reunion.
So successful was the event that it was decided to make the reunion-type fair an annual event.
Pea Ridge traces its history back to 1850 when the post office here was officially started, although, of course, a community already existed at that time. The picturesque little city gained its greatest fame through its greatest heartache and sorrow - the important Civil War Battle of Pea Ridge fought near the town.
1968 - A fiddlers’ contest was held by the Arkansas Fiddlers Association.
1969 - A change in fair plans saw the merchant’s drawing give away $130 cash to winners at the fair.
1971 - Beta Alpha Sororitysponsored the fair for the first time.
1972 - Miss Pea Ridge, Debra (Easley) Bullard, was sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce to enter the Decatur Barbecue competition that August.
1979 - The longest married couple was Mr. and Mrs. Charlie Crabtree who had been married 65 years.
1980 - Proceeds from the dunking booth went to building a pavilion at Pea Ridge City Park.
1983 - Live entertainment featured The Mann Family, the Sugar Creek Band and Bill and Dub Snow with H.K. Scott.
1986 - No pageant was held but the first ever queen’s reunion drew 18 former Pea Ridge Fair queens.
1988 - There were 31 Pea Ridge residents who signed up to be dunked in the Pea Ridge High School Band Booster’s dunk tank.
1991 - Sponsors of the fair put extra emphasis on Desert Storm veterans, all Desert Storm vets were invited to be that year’s grand marshals.
1992 - This year’s Miss Pea Ridge, Jennifer (McDaniel) Plumlee, attended Rogers High School.
1997 - The first Junior Miss Pea Ridge and Teeny Tot contests were held.
1999 - The first Cutest Baby contest was held.
2000 - Former queens were invited back - 21 attended and rode in parade.
2002 - Miss Pea Ridge contest was interrupted by rain for the first time in the fair’s history.
2006 - The theme for thefair was Blackhawk Reunion and the grand marshals, the Pea Ridge High School class of 1931, were driven in a 1930 Model A Ford owned by Nadine Crabtree.
2009 - A car show was held instead of the carnival.
The Pea Ridge Fair is sponsored by the Beta Alpha Sorority.
Community, Pages 14 on 07/07/2010