Steeped in history, Carroll County kicks off 125th 4-H & FFA Fair this weekend

Crafts, entertainment, ice cream, fireworks and farm animals will be on hand at the 125th Carroll County 4-H and FFA Fair, which opens this weekend. The weeklong fair, which has been held since 1897, runs through Aug. 5 with activities at the Carroll County Agriculture Center, 706 Agricultural Center Drive in Westminster. Admission is free, but parking is $5 after 4 p.m. Parking will be free all day on Sunday. According to a history published in the 1997 Carroll County Fair Guide, the current version of the fair traces its roots to a picnic held Aug. 14, 1897, at the Otterdale Schoolhouse, in Taneytown. The fair moved to Westminster in 1954, to what is now known as the Carroll County Agriculture Center.