E34-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, January 4, 2003
Bigger, Better Farm Show Complex
(Continued from Page E 4)
The Farm Show Complex was
used for many other things. The
National Horse Show exhibited
there in 1947, the Shrine Circus
in 1948, Pennsylvania Livestock
Exhibition in 1957 (now the Key
stone International Livestock Ex
position), and the All-American
Dairy Show in 1964.
Basketball games were played
in the 7,639-seat arena in 1958.
Other exhibits: the Harrisburg
Builders’ Show, the Sportsmen’s
Show since 1956, Mobilehome
Show in 1957, and lots of other
events, many of which have new
names and attract various crowds
today.
75th Farm Show
Dan Cupper assembled anoth
er Farm Show history with “75th
Farm Show: A History of Penn
sylvania’s Annual Agricultural
Exposition,” for the 1991 Farm
Show.
Governor Robert P. Casey
noted in the introduction that the
Farm Show had evolved, going
from the 1917 exposition of
$1,430 for six departments of
competition to the 75th show,
with record premiums totaling
$196,000 in 30 departments.
A new roof was installed over
the Large Arena. A new livestock
exhibition hall at the complex in
cluded a two-story building be
tween the Large Arena and the
East Building.
In the book, Cupper points out
that in 1965, a long-range plan
ning study was done to help de
termine the future of the Farm
Show Complex. In April 1966,
Ag Secretary Leland Bull called a
press conference to announce the
Work on the escalators to the spine and Farm Show offices took place
throughout late summer and fall last year.
The Small Arena has a new auctioji booth with track and floor lighting.
The arena has entered the modern age!
commission was considering re
placing, over a six-year period, all
of the buildings on the site except
the Large Arena. Cost: $l3 mil
lion.
Between 1968-1972, show offi
cials discussed the future of the
statewide show. In 1968, new fa
cilities planning was under way,
including the possibility of look
ing toward another site.
Eventually the plan was sub
mitted to the General State Au
thority board. It included two op
tions: Site A and Site B.
Site A was a plan to expand
existing facilities from 69.7 to 129
acres, offering room, with offsite
parking, for 7,000 cars.
Site B involved building a new
Farm Show Complex on a
293.3-acre tract in Susquehanna
Township, less than a mile north
east of the existing location,
according to Cupper. It had plen
ty of room, with an arena
equipped with 15,000 seats, along
with parking for 30,000 cars.
The Capital City Development
Committee voted for Site A. The
plan went back and forth
through various administrations,
from Gov. Raymond P. Shafer to
Gov. Milton J. Shapp, but with
Tropical Storm Agnes in 1972
and major flooding of complex
during the All-American Dairy
Show in 1975, along with other
issues, the plan was put on hold.
Senate Bill 1188 in 1973-74
contained $l5O million for a new
complex and site, but floundered
in the legislation process, accord
ing to Cupper. With the Oil Cri
sis looming, and with renovations
desperately needed, focus was
placed on the $lO million appro
priation measure passed for nec
essary renovations.
Was a new site necessary? Of
ficials considered a number of
i e * i* » 9 r ? f t i ♦ ♦
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sites, including one in Lancaster
County, one in Hershey, one on
the West Shore, one along Elmer
ton Avenue, and one at a “race
track” site.
Renovations to the Rt. 22 by
pass were conducted April-Sep
tember 1974. At the 1975 show,
Pennsylvania Livestock Associa
tion joined the commodity food
area.
In November 1978, two long
awaited highway connections
were completed in time for the
1979 show. The four-lane River
Relief Route, linking Cameron
Street with River Road (Rt. 22),
was completed. The other was a
section of Rt. 81 connecting with
the River Relief Route, opening
Nov. 24.
In mid-March 1979, the Agri
culture Department sponsored
the first of two Farm Equipment
Expos, according to Cupper, de
signed to give “farm equipment
dealers a chance to display new
and used products that they were
unable to display at the Farm
Show because of space limita
tions.” The expo was discontin
ued in 1980, noted Cupper, for
“lack of interest.”
In the 1980 s, a sheep-to-shawl
contest was added. The show was
open on Sunday in 1980.
At that time, 311 exhibitors re
mained on a waiting list. Clearly,
noted Cupper, more space was
needed all this more than two
decades ago.
At that time, plans were drawn
up and state funding sought,
noted Cupper, for a
72,000-square-foot structure to
cost $2.3 million. The building in
cluded livestock exhibition space
on the ground floor and a cafete
ria and dormitories on the upper
floors. It had been scheduled for
construction since 1957 but never
More of the Large Arena from 1938. Notice the lack of
hardhats on the workers.
built.
In those years, the Large
Arena was host to rock music
concerts, a boxing match (live
broadcast to 3,000 paying fans in
the Large Arena), and other
events.
Through the 1980 s, traditions
stayed. Though there was only a
single turkey queen named in
1930, there were about 30 queens
and some kings, noted Cupper
in the 1980 s. They “promote
everything from strawberries to
evergreens to honey to draft
horses and mules.”
In 1990, the Farm Show
generated more than $500,000 in
revenue and $7.6 million worth of
direct and indirect spending. At
tendance has fallen through the
years, however, from a high of
690,000 in 1963 to only 217,000
in 1990.
In 1991, more than 8,000 exhi
bits competed for cash premiums
totaling $195,000 according to
Cupper, a “vast leap” over the
Kec-ta Quay
Construction, LLC
RO. BOX 388 • HUSTONTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA 17229
TELEPHONE (717) 987-3518
PROUD TO BE A
PARTICIPANT IN THE
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FARM SHOW COMPLEX
$735 offered in 1917.
(About 400,000 people were ex
pected to return to Farm Show
last year. A record $315,000 was
offered in premiums.)
In the 1980 s, no major expan
sion was occurring, even though
it was needed. Other states ex
panded and improved their facili
ties to accommodate exhibit
space, parking, and other visitor
needs but little or nothing at
the Pennsylvania Farm Show.
In 1990, some renovations did
occur. That includes the previ
ously approved (1957) decision to
construct a two-story, 82,000
square foot budding between the
East Building and the Large
Arena for $3.22 million; $2.7 mil
lion for a new roof; $1.6 million
for a heating system; $483,000 for
a new lighting system; and
$35,000 for a sound system.
Long Overdue
(Turn to Page £35)
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