Since it began in 1924 as a school harvest festival, the Unionville Community Fair has grown into a community institution. The fair remains focused on showcasing activities and displays that educate the community about the importance of agriculture, homemaking and the arts. 

After three years as president, Deb Deckman has stepped down to pursue other endeavors. Bonnie Musser has volunteered to step up as president for the 2019 fair. Musser has a long history of supporting the fair. She began serving on the board in 1978, as a director of baked goods, board secretary, and eventually several terms as president in the 1980s. Musser has overseen the publishing of the fair catalog for most of the years since then. She has been attending the fair since she was an infant.  Her mother and aunt were both Fair Queens, then called Harvest Queens. 

Also joining the leadership team as president-elect is Cindy Wallace. As a longtime resident of the area, Wallace has many fond childhood memories of the fair. Her family’s farm produced many crops that were entered in the fair.

Wallace works in the tech industry but remains connected to her agricultural background. She lives on part of the farm that her grandparents bought in the 1940s, and raises chickens, ducks and goats. Her children are active participants in the fair. They won the 2018 family award and Katrina Wallace is a two-time winner of the Robert Struble youth award.

The fair is operated by an all-volunteer staff. There is always a need for new volunteers. More information can be found at www.ucfair.org.

This year’s fair will be held Oct. 4 to 6. In addition to the return of many of the traditional activities, the fair will see the popular wine and beer garden and 5K run return this year. Also in the works is a haunted tent attraction and new animal displays.