The first Danbury Fair was held under a borrowed tent in 1869. Over the next 112 years, the fair expanded to a ten-day event, earning a national reputation for its themed villages, giant figures, grandstand shows and wildly popular stock car races. The twelve formal venues for music and entertainment on the fairground included the World of Mirth Theater and the Orange Bowl Stadium. Under the management of oil magnate John W. Leahy, the fair retained its great hometown appeal as city dwellers flocked to the fair by the thousands. Venture back to the autumn days of zany ostrich races and Zembruski's polka music with Andrea Zimmermann as she explores the beloved bygone tradition of the Great Danbury State Fair.

Connecticut consists of a rich mixture of culture, history, sport, ingenuity and agriculture and the Danbury Fair drank deeply from its roots. Under the influence of John W. Leahy, the last owner and manager of the Fair, it grew into much more, while remaining true to its heritage. His story is captivating, as shared by those who knew him best.

The Great Danbury State Fair was one of the best fairs in America. For one week a year, for 113 years, it was the social, cultural, and economic event for miles around. It was fun for the whole family. This colorfully illustrated picture book, written by a Danbury native who fondly remembers the fair, depicts scenes from the fair for each letter of the alphabet.

The town that began as Swampfield became Danbury, one of the best cities in Connecticut, the one-time capital of the hat industry, and the gateway of New England. The founding families of Danbury, with names such as Thomas Barnum, Judah Gregory, and John Hoyt, left Norwalk in 1684 and traveled some 30 miles north. There, at the western edge of Connecticut, they settled in the surrounding wetlands, and in 1687, the town was decreed as Danbury. Over the years, the small community has grown from the first residents' homes on Towne Street (today's Main Street), and has become a city of over 80,000 people. From a pivotal role in the American Revolution, to the Great Danbury State Fair, and how Danbury became America's Hat City, producing over 5 million hats a year and supplying the hat industry with 75% of its hat bodies.

Traces the history of fairs throughout the world and in the United States and describes the major events of modern-day state and county fairs.