The York Fair was held in the fall for a very long time. Many enjoyed the fall and missed it when it changed to summer.

“I prefer the York Fair in the fall.  It is way too hot to walk around the fairgrounds in July, and it is too warm for the animals.  Also, I miss seeing all of the baked goods and artwork submitted by schools on behalf of their students.  Finally, what is the fair without the fall harvest?  The horticultural hall was almost empty,” Dallastown teacher Mrs. Garrett says.

The Horticultural Hall was a building full of the fall harvest. It would usually have pumpkins, gourds, plums, and much more. 

Many traditions from the fall fair had changed. The fan favorites fall traditions were the livestock, student submissions, and the fall harvest.

The heat was one of the main causes of that.

The 2022 fair this year had heat in the 90s for the first four days. And according to WGAL News 8’s article attendance was at its lowest on those four days from when the gate opened to around 6 p.m.

It’s no shocker that summer days are hot, but supporters of the fall fair see it as a reason to bring it back to breezy fall days.

With heat more than just people are affected.

The animals at the livestock show had to be air-conditioned otherwise the animals would be heavily affected by the stress of the heat.

Dallastown Teacher Mr.Good and his daughters, Sophomore Natalie and 8th grader Morgan, would breed pigs for the fair and would have flowers in the horticultural hall. When the fair changed from Summer to Fall it was difficult for the first years to breed the pigs.

“For the girls, they had to plan when to breed the animals,” Mr. Good says.

Many people like the fair in Fall. But, people agree there are positives for the fair being in the summer.

Teachers didn’t have to worry about their school responsibilities.

“Worrying about lesson plans and grading papers,” Garrett says.

People loved the fair in the fall and did want it to change.

“It’s nearly a 100-year-old tradition,” states Dallastown teacher Mrs. Riddle.

Mrs. Riddle is a big fan of the fair and has gone four times this year. She loves it so much that she even jokes that when she retires she would become fair mayor.

“I enjoy the fair no matter what, but if I was the fair mayor I would vote September no matter what,” says Riddle.