Fairs in Many Places: A Moving Tradition in Clatsop County

A Moving Fair: Key Locations Over Time

A quick orientation to where the Clatsop County Fair was held across more than a century.

  1. 1905

    Hedrick’s Theatre (Astoria)

    The first Clatsop County Fair was held in a downtown theater built over tide flats at 12th & Duane.

  2. 1906 & 1908

    Clatsop County Courthouse Basement (Astoria)

    Before the courthouse was finished, its basement served as a temporary exhibition space for fairs and public events.

  3. 1911–1914

    Gearhart Park

    Early Grangers’ fairs took hold at a coastal resort park with rail access and shared amenities.

  4. 1920–1923 & 1925–1930

    Port of Astoria Waterfront Sites (Astoria)

    Fairs and festivities were hosted in large waterfront spaces, including Pier 3 facilities and the old O.W.R.&N. dock area.

  5. 1931–1935

    Fellman Building (Astoria)

    A downtown commercial building—vacant during foreclosure and bank failure—was reused for 4-H fairs and exhibitions.

  6. 1941–1994

    Marine Drive Fairgrounds & 4-H Buildings (Astoria)

    After the 1940 loss of the Regatta Pavilion, 4-H established an exhibit building and the fair expanded with barns and an arena.

  7. 1995–Present

    Clatsop County Fair & Expo Center (Walluski Loop Road)

    The fair moved to its current home, incorporating land and buildings connected to the John Jacob Astor Experiment Station and later farm programs.

Introduction

The history of the Clatsop County Fair is a story of movement, adaptation, and community resourcefulness. Long before the fair settled into a permanent home, it occupied a wide range of places across Astoria and Clatsop County—downtown theaters, commercial buildings, courthouse basements, waterfront docks, parks, and eventually purpose-built fairgrounds. Each site reflected the needs, opportunities, and constraints of its moment, shaped by events such as fires, economic shifts, transportation changes, and population growth.
This web exhibit brings together six panels that trace the fair’s changing locations over time. Using historical photographs, newspaper coverage, maps, and architectural context, the panels show how everyday spaces were temporarily transformed into venues for exhibition, education, and celebration. Taken together, they reveal the fair not as a fixed destination but as a flexible civic tradition—one that adapted to available spaces while remaining a focal point for agricultural learning, youth programs, and community life.
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Explore the panels below to follow the fair’s journey across Clatsop County and through more than a century of local history.

​Hedrick’s Theatre (1905) Downtown Astoria’s first fair site

​The first Clatsop County Fair was held in 1905 at Hedrick’s Theatre, a two-story building constructed over the tide flats at 12th and Duane. This panel explores how a downtown entertainment venue briefly became an agricultural exhibition space—and how fire and redevelopment reshaped the site.

Clatsop County Courthouse (1906–1908) Fairs in unfinished civic space

Before the courthouse was completed, its basement served as an exhibition hall for early fairs. This panel examines how an unfinished government building became a temporary public gathering place during a formative period in county history.

Fellman Building (1931–1935) Vacancy, reuse, and community exhibitions

​Built for retail and later repurposed, the Fellman Building hosted 4-H fairs during the Great Depression. This panel highlights how economic disruption and foreclosure opened space for community use in downtown Astoria.

​Port of Astoria & Waterfront Sites (1920s–1940) Fairs on the working riverfront

​Warehouses, docks, and the Regatta Pavilion at the Port of Astoria provided large, flexible spaces for fairs and festivals. This panel explores how maritime infrastructure doubled as civic space—and how fire once again forced change.

​Marine Drive Fairgrounds & 4-H Buildings (1941–1994) A long-term home shaped by youth programs

​After the loss of waterfront facilities, the fair settled near Gyro Field, where 4-H leadership helped establish permanent exhibit buildings, barns, and an arena. This panel traces more than five decades of fairs at this constrained but productive site.

Fair & Expo Center / Experiment Station Site (1995–Present) From research farm to modern fairgrounds

​The current fairgrounds occupy land once used by the John Jacob Astor Experiment Station and Clatsop County Poor Farm. This panel connects agricultural research, education, and social services to the fair’s present-day home.

Gearhart Park (1911–1914) A resort setting for early county fairs

​Gearhart Park became an early fair location thanks to rail access and resort amenities. This panel situates the fair within Oregon’s coastal resort culture and the Grange movement’s role in organizing agricultural exhibitions.

A Tradition Larger Than Any One Place

While many of the buildings and sites featured in this exhibit have changed or disappeared, the Clatsop County Fair itself has endured. Its history shows how communities make creative use of the spaces they have—whether a theater built over tide flats, a courthouse basement awaiting completion, a waterfront warehouse, or an experimental farm. Many of these locations may have been temporary, but the civic purpose they served was lasting.
Understanding where the fair has been helps us better understand how Clatsop County has grown, rebuilt, and reimagined itself over time. The fair’s story reminds us that public traditions are shaped not only by permanence, but by adaptability—and that places gain meaning through the activities and people that bring them to life.
Today’s fairgrounds stand on the foundation of many earlier sites, each contributing to a shared legacy of learning, cooperation, and community celebration.

Further Reading & Exploration

Clatsop County Fair & Expo Center
Explore current fair events, facilities, and programming—and see how today’s fair continues a long tradition of community gathering.
🔗 https://www.clatsopcountyfair.com

Clatsop County 4-H — Oregon State University Extension Service
The official OSU Extension Service page for Clatsop County 4-H, giving current program information and contextualizing 4-H within the broader Oregon State 4-H Youth Development network. OSU Extension Service
🔗 https://extension.oregonstate.edu/4h/clatsop

Oregon Agricultural Experiment Stations — OSU College of Agricultural Sciences
Institutional history of the experiment station network in Oregon, including origins, branch stations, and research mission (Oregon State University).
🔗 https://agsci.oregonstate.edu/home/research/oaes-history OSU Agricultural Sciences

Port History — Port of Astoria (Official)
This page outlines the Port’s historical timeline, beginning with its establishment in 1910 and noting developments such as pier construction, involvement in World War II, cruise ship accommodations, and centennial celebrations.
🔗 https://www.portofastoria.com/port-history 

​Clatsop County Courthouse — SAH Archipedia
An in-depth architectural and historical overview of the 1908 Clatsop County Courthouse by the Society of Architectural Historians, including design context, materials, and architect Edgar M. Lazarus.
🔗 https://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/OR-01-007-0080

History — Astoria Regatta (Official Festival Website)
A community-focused overview of the Astoria Regatta’s origins in 1894, its pauses during major events like world wars, and its long tradition of maritime celebration on the Columbia River. Astoria Regatta Festival
🔗 https://www.astoriaregatta.com/history

Gearhart – The Oregon Encyclopedia
An authoritative overview of the founding and early development of Gearhart Park as a planned coastal resort community in Clatsop County, with context on its founders, early rail access, and resort culture on the Oregon coast.
🔗 https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/gearhart/ Oregon Encyclopedia