Colbert County Colored Fair

Colbert County Colored Fair

Colbert County, Alabama; African American History; Fairs; Colbert County Colored Fair

As far back as 1912 there is a record of a fair for African Americans taking place in Colbert County. The fair took place at a location called the Fair Grounds. The fair was popular, with a large turnout for the event. The event officially began on a Wednesday in October of 1912. The festival opened with a street parade that included a band and was followed by kids from the local schools. There were also several exhibits, talks, and displays during the course of the fair. The fair closed on Saturday night ending four days of fair activities. The fair, according to the newspaper the Alabama Dispatch was the only fair for African Americans to take place in the state. The paper also notes that by the end of the fair thousands of African Americans had attended this event. All signs point to this fair generating a large amount of interest in the African-American community.

Sam Keiser, University of North Alabama

"Colored Fair in Progress Large Crowds In Attendance And Great Interest Being Manifested." Alabama Dispatch, October 17, 1912.

Alabama Cultural Resource Survey

December 1, 2015

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