As we made the difficult decision to postpone the RCBA Day of Play picnic, I remember that I had seen some news items about the first Ridgeway District Fairs. The first district fair was held on October 10 through 13, 1882 and included many events like a Lady Equestrian five-mile horse race, a slow mule and horse race, a bicycle race, shooting tournament, a baby show and stock shows. The fair board worked hard to put together a great event, but according to an item in the Oct 13, 1882 issue of the Albany Ledger, “the rain interfered with the Ridgeway District Fair. We are sorry for it as the managers worked so hard to make it a success.” Weather was a problem for the first three fairs, but despite that, those first fairs were still deemed a success.
