About Us
Stars and Stripes History
In 2002, New Jersey did not have an event which allowed all youth in the state an opportunity to compete in a livestock show. There were some state level 4-H single species shows but not all livestock species were included and 4-H membership was required. A group of 4-H families decided to create a one-day all species show for all youth. Held at the NJ Horse Park, the event was not a part of anyone’s home fair so all exhibitors were on the same footing. Our goal was to be the first ag fair of the season, so that we could prepare youth for upcoming county fairs.
In a few years, the event had grown and was requested to become a part of Freedom Fest State Fair which was held at the NJ Horse Park. Once, Freedom Fest left this location, the contract was not renewed and our organization became a non-profit corporation. The Burlington County Board of Agriculture welcomed us to hold our event at their Ag Center in Moorestown. We had a wonderful venue and a new group of workers until Covid hit and we were forced to hold a virtual event. Participation was extensive, as far away as Colorado, but we missed having a live event. By 2022, we had lost some of our Burlington County workers due to a variety of health issues, so we needed to move. Desperately looking for a new home that would allow us to maintain that “first fair of the season” status, Ocean County 4-H stepped up and welcomed us to join their fair. In true ag spirit, Ocean County offered us a tent, pens, pa system and lots of love.
In 2023, the parent organization of the Thomas Baird Homestead, the Friends of Millstone Township Historic Registered Properties invited us to use the Homestead for our fair. Now, we could maintain our “first fair” status and our independence from any county fair. Even though we faced tornado warnings and “everything is new again” issues, the Homestead feels like home. We will be back again this year with some new programs but the same old laid back welcome as we have tried to foster for the past decades.