PART 1: There’s Never Been Anything Quite Like The Great Danbury State Fair

It was the longest running state fair in U.S. history (112 years) when it finally closed in the 1980s – to make way for a shopping mall. The Great Danbury State Fair is legendary. You probably don’t know the real story behind its beginning – or its end. Jack Stetson was the last person to “turn out the lights” at the fair, and he’s written the only book exclusively focused on the fair and its history. In part one of this two-part series, we focus on the early years. Sharing his insights is noted Danbury historian Bill Devlin, who has also written about the fair.