The Centreville fair began in 1851 and got a second start in 1916

On paper, it is the St. Joseph County Grange Fair. Around town, the Centreville Fair works just fine. Its story starts with the St. Joseph County Agricultural Society, organized in 1849. The society announced its first fair in September 1851 and held it on October 22. That first gathering offered $93 in prizes for livestock and farm products.

That does not mean the fair ran every year from 1851 onward. Financial trouble forced the fair to borrow money, and it was eventually discontinued. The grounds passed to the St. Joseph County Mutual Protection Association, an early group formed to protect residents against horse thieves.

The second start came in 1916. The protection association’s remaining members let the Grange use the grounds if it would operate the fair. With no lights at first, the revived fair closed at dark. Four horses raced on a sod track that first year back.

Fair week still arrives in late September with farm entries, a carnival, grandstand events, and a community stage. Admission is charged, and dates, prices, and special days change from year to year. The grounds are at 316 East Charlotte Street, and the fair’s schedule carries the current lineup. The fair’s real claim is better than an untested ranking: Centreville lost the tradition for a time, then chose to bring it back.