What started on Labor Day weekend in 1949 will hold a place in many local residents’ hearts as one of the biggest and best community annual events held over Labor Day weekend. We take a look back at the history of the Kiwanis Fair in Basking Ridge and hope it brings back some memories. We encourage you to share any fair memories you have at the end of the piece.
As with all Mr. Local History retrospectives, we often update the post when we learn stories and are sent photos from our community. We will continue to grow this piece as information becomes available. If you have a comment or photo, feel free to post at the bottom of this story.
Mr. Local History Project
As the local historian, we get all kinds of requests to research people, properties, and events from our local history. The Basking Ridge Kiwanis Community Fair is an event that ran in Bernards Township from 1949 to. It was held on Saturday and Monday each Labor Day weekend. Sundays were reserved for Church service, so the fair was closed. The event went to a full three-day format in 1993.
See all the winners from the 2nd annual Basking Ridge Kiwanis Fair below.
The Kiwanis Community Fair started on Labor Day weekend in 1949. The event was officially called the “Bernards Township Community Day” program and was to be held on Labor Day, Monday, September 5, 1949, at the Oak Street School grounds in Basking Ridge. James F. Foley and E. Delbert Edgar served as co-chairs for the event. Vernon O. Craig was the chapter chairman.
We are just trying to prove that we can have fun at home and do not have to torment ourselves in those traffic jams to have a good time over the holiday.”
F. H Bockhoven, Kiwanis Club Spokesman – 1950
The list of judges included a “who’s who” of local residents. As with all community events, some memorable activities brought the area together on what was typically a quiet weekend.
- Horace Brink judged the poultry event.
- Vernon Hill of Lee’s Hill Farm judged the dairy exhibit
- Mrs. Carl Ott judged the homemakers’ art exhibit
- Raymond Moffit judged the pet shows
- Ransford Crane and Thomas Cross umpired the baseball game
- Gus Day served as auctioneer
- Clyde Swendsen, manager at New Haven Farm, ran the greased pig chase
- William Badgley was in charge of the dance
What is Labor Day weekend in the Somerset Hills without the Bernards Township Kiwanis Fair – nothing. But with the Fair: Everything.
Bernardsville News – 1967
The fair had several great exhibits. Every year a king and queen would be crowned. Exhibits from local merchants showcased their offerings like the Somerset Hills Bank showcasing in a film how currency was made. The Boy Scout Troop 77 gave pancakes and fritters to anyone who wanted them. The Bedminster Air Explorers put kids into their Piper Cup airplane that was on exhibit. Oh yes, there was always a big tent, including displays from the local library, the Somerset Hills Chamber of Commerce’s Soap Box Derby cars, and all the areas of worship.
This is a picture of when my dad, Lyn Carlin Sr., was in the Kiwanis Club and worked at the fair. I have many good memories of the 1960s. Source: Jeanie Carlin Bruns
During the fair, numerous events were held. Cars and the local fire departments paraded in the annual antique auto parade. There was a maypole contest, a slow race, the 25-yard dash, an Apple on a Spoon Race, a Race while holding a piece of paper on a straw, a country auction, a firefighting demonstration, free movies, a dog and cat show with over 100 entries to name just a few. Later years included events like parades, bike races, Ferris wheel rides, and the infamous “Arbitron” gyroscope ride.
Kiwanis Community Fair Highlights
In 1950, the second year of the Labor Day weekend fair, over 2,000 people attended the Oak Street School location. Township Clerk Charles Anstedt wrote a letter of commendation to the Bernards Township Kiwanis Club for presenting such a fine event. Over 300 residents packed the Oak Street gymnasium on Saturday night for an old-fashioned square and “round” dance featuring the Pop Stout orchestra. Events included pet shows, a greased pig chase, a baseball game, a cattle show, poultry show and yes games. The event sold over 185 pounds of beef, making for some great hamburgers.
At the 1962 Kiwanis fair, a massive 24 foot by 6 foot mural created by Mrs. Edgar Townley of 12 Orchard Place depicted “The Helping Hands of the Community Chest,” showcasing eight volunteer organizations in the area.
Over 40 women artists joined to create an exhibit at the 1962 Kiwanis Fair. And the state of New Jersey brought the infamous “History-mobile” a traveling mobile exhibit showcasing the tricentennial of New Jersey’s 300th anniversary. New Jersey Bell, the Ford Motor Company, and the New Jersey Manufacturers Association financed the Historymobile.
In 1963 there was a parade on Front Street (now South Finley Avenue) complete with floats. Cub Pack 202 showcased its “Statue of Liberty” float that got delayed because it got stuck in the overhead power lines. But it eventually crossed past the dignitary viewing stand. Miss Independence was also there. Over 14,000 attended the fair in 1963.
1966 Fair Breaks All Records
The 1966 two-day Kiwanis Fair in Bernards Township ended up being one of their most special events. That year, over 20,000 people made their way to the two-day event, breaking all previous records, according to Jack Kelly, chairman of the Fair. “The NASA exhibit was a real hit,” stated Kelly.
In 1975, the Basking Ridge Garden Club prepared dried flower arrangements for the fair. The club had been meeting for months to create the arrangements, which they sold.
A Big Hit in 1985 – Children’s ID Cards
1985, the Bernards Township Police Department issued over 1,000 child ID cards. Do you still have yours? The JCP&L event was one of the most popular activities that year and was a laminated card that included your fingerprint.
1993 honored the 45th edition of the fair and brought in over $13,000 for the organization. The event was held for the first time on what was referred to as “the Lord’s Day.” This year’s donation recipients included the Matheny School, the Basking Ridge Little League, and the New Jersey Foundation Pediatric Trauma Center, as well as others.
What killed the Kiwanis Community Fair?
1993 saw the last Kiwanis Fair at the Oak Street school grounds.
In March 1994, the Bernardsville News published a story about the Kiwanis Club’s proposal to move the fair to the Far Hills Fairgrounds. That proposal was ultimately denied, and in July 1994, the fair was canceled.
A number of people told me at the time that the AAUW book sale was a big part of the fair and that crowds dropped off when the book sale relocated to Liberty Corner School in 1986.
Jake Perry – Bernardsville News Reporter
Get your Own Piece and Wear Your Local History
What led to the Kiwanis Fair Downfall?
Area events started to compete with the Kiwanis Fair:
- AAUW book sale moved from the Kiwanis Fair to Liberty Corner in 1986.
- Competitive adult and kids’ bicycle races in 1992. “It’s the ‘Welcome back from summer’ for all the Somerset Hills area residents,” said Greg Cordasco, owner of Liberty Cycle, which presented the event in conjunction with The Olde Mill Inn and the Bernards Township Parks and Recreation Department. He passed suddenly in 2019, and the event has been postponed since.
- A runner’s road race also started around 1992.
The fair ended. Most locals indicated that interest had deteriorated, and the committee decided to cancel the event.
It’s Not the Kiwanis Fair, but Charter Day the following year did fill the community’s “Social Gap.
The Kiwanis Club
The Kiwanis Club is still active in Basking Ridge. The Kiwanis Club of Somerset Hills invites the public to the Kiwanis Easter Egg Hunt, typically on the second Saturday in April. It is a free event held each year at the Oak Street School grounds at 70 W. Oak Street in Basking Ridge, NJ.
Kiwanis International is a global community of clubs, members, and partners dedicated to improving the lives of children in one community at a time. Today, we have more than 550,000 members, from K-Kids to Key Club to Kiwanis and many ages in between, in 80 countries and geographic areas. Each community has different needs, and Kiwanis empowers members to pursue creative ways to serve those needs, such as fighting hunger, improving literacy, and offering guidance.
Kiwanis clubs host nearly 150,000 service projects each year.
What was Your Favorite Event?
Add it below, along with the year you attended.
For history, please post any memories about the Basking Ridge Kiwanis Fair. If we missed any event below, let us know.
Basking Ridge Kiwanis Fair Events Over the Years
As we scanned news articles and talked with locals over the years, the Kiwanis Community Fair held an extensive list of events and exhibits that the attendees loved. Each year, they’d add or subtract events that the committee thought the public wanted. The parade, the country auction, and the pet shows were a staple every year. Let’s list a few others:
| Flag raising – 1949 | Outdoor Movies at night |
| Antique Car Show & Parade – 1949 | Book Sale – AAUW -1955 |
| Country Auction – 1949 | Square and Round Dances- 1950 |
| Pet Shows -1949 | PTA Bake Sale – 1955 |
| Greased Pig Chase – 1950 | Vegetable Contest |
| Art Exhibits – 1950 | Automobile Reactometer Display – 1954 |
| Poultry Exhibit – 4 H Club | Salvation Army Flood Relief Victims Booth – 1955 |
| Dairy Exhibits – 1949 | Tennis Matches |
| The Slowest Car Challenge – Down the hill | Ridge High School Band Concert – 1960s |
| Crowning of the King and Queen | Teen Dance |
| Paper on a straw run | Voter Registration |
| Peanut on a Spoon race | Rock Concerts – 1970s |
| Watermelon Eating Contest – 1953 | Scout Bike Tests – 1970s |
| Potato Race – 1949 | Creative Arts & Krafts – YMCA |
| Three Legged Race – 1949 | Lace Making & Quilling exhibits |
| Pony Rides | Bicentennial Tree Planting – Pinebrook Nursery 1975 |
| Baseball Games | Baking Contest – 1983 |
| Pancake Breakfast – Boy Scout Troop | KI-SHY Run – 5k and 10k – 1984 |
| Charcoal Drawing – 1953 | Flea Market – 1985 |
| Flower Show – Basking Ridge Garden Club | Clarabelle the Clown from Howdy Doody Show – 1985 |
Related MLH Research
Chris Lewis Such great childhood memories. The Oompa Band and birch beer on tap. The antique car show where they had the rolling down the hill contest. The year Forbes had a hot air balloon and gave tethered rides. And, of course, the year Bums in the Park performed 😉
Patricia Murphy Steege Loved the Kiwanis Fair! I remember the large wooden boat ride, the swings, and the AAUW booksale in the basement.
I’d ride in the Kielblock’s antique car down the Oak Street School hillside. Which car, with the motor off, could roll the farthers?
Then in high school, we’d come back from Band Camp, in Johnsonburg, and play at the Fair.
I saw a few familiar names in this article. Thank you for sharing.
Lots of wonderful memories.
Suzanne Dudley Tufariello I remember it!! Was on the drill team at Ridge. Came home from band camp and participated in the Parade on Monday morning and after the Kiwanis fair.
Robin Evans Love it, end of the summer, seeing classmates before school began. My favorite year was Ty Kashmiry and the twins (?) playing the Stones…..anyone remember the name of the Band?
Amy Kirberger Lopas Spin art, cotton candy, dog show, dunking booth.
Karen Jones Potts This was the high lite if the summer when I was a kid. It was over Labor day weekend and school started 2-3 days after
Barbara Antonides Loved the hayride
Jim DiQuattro The Kiwanis Fair was always the highlight to the end of summer and start of the new school year! I loved it!
I remember one year, probably one of the coldest August days ever, Patty Milne and I got dunked in the dunking booth. Boy were our Moms mad.
I won the adult women’s tennis tournament when I was 16 🙂
We took our young boys there in the ‘90’s. We could walk there from our house which is close to Oak Street School in whose parking lot it took place. The boys showed our dog there in the dog show. They also purchased gold fish. It was a wonderful low key fair where you didn’t have to worry about losing a child. And everyone knew each other. Our boys have such fond memories of the fair and were so upset when they stopped having it.
I was 3 when we moved to Spencer Rd in Basking Ridge. The Kiwanis Fair was such a big part of growing up there! My mother, Marge West, worked in the food booth selling hamburgers. I have so many memories from that fair! Jane Forbes crowning Gretchen Heyer! I remember that! Thanks so much for posting this! Makes me smile!
Kiwanis fair was the highlight of the summer…I remember standing in line for the ferris wheel, and hearing some girls talking about Woodstock…riding ponies…and of course winning a goldfish…every year…great times…sad that future generations won’t get to experience the same
I ran into Eric Mundorff at the Fair in 1968. We knew each other from Ridge High. He graduated in ’66 and I graduated in ’67. We spent the evening together, wandering the Fair and catching up. Married 49 years as of September 18, 2020.
Won the raw egg toss about 1960
The year the Forbes balloon was there, must have been ’76 or ’77, my buddies and I ended up helping to haul the balloon down after each ride. It was hard work but we weren’t doing anything else. At the end of the day the Forbes crew rewarded us with some ice cold Coors! (we were all over 18) Back then Coors was never seen east of the Mississippi indeed some would say it was illegal east of the Mississippi (yes children, Smoky and Bandit was an almost semi-true story) We were thrilled!!
It was a true end of summer rite of passage for myself and my sister in the 70’s. We would leave the beach life and it was back to Basking Ridge before school started back again after Labor Day. First time I ever had cotton candy was at the Fair and every year I would win the goldfish, carry it home in the plastic bag and hope i could keep it alive until Christmas!
I remember going to the fair in the 1950’s . It was one of the highlights of my childhood. The Eastern Star tended the cotton candy booth back then and since my mom, Ruth Heckel, was a member, she would volunteer to make the cotton candy.
Great memories!
I attended the fair from the late ’50s until 1970.
My father was one of the organizers for the Bishop Janes men’s group’s candy booth. It was fun going with him to Morristown to order the candy. The cases were stored on our cellar stairs. He let me pick out 25 cents worth of candy (Most candy bars were just a nickle then, a few candies were less). It was amazing how far I could make a quarter go.
Some years, local amateur radio “Hams” had a booth. Might’ve been the local Civil Defense organization. My mom was a member. Their hand-operated generator was a hit.
I adored the book sale. I’d get a bonus allowance of $5 to spend and came home with armloads of books.
My mother got a treadle sewing machine for $10 at the auction. It’s what I learned to sew on.
One year, I entered our beagle Sock in the dog show. He rolled in poop right before the start. I still remember some older kids (I might’ve been 7 or 8) laughing hysterically at the dog who’d obviously made his own memories that weekend.
My father, William Keeler, shown at the center of the above group photo, (dark shirt), volunteered at the Raritan Valley ice cream truck each year at the fair. It was so nice to be the recipient of an ice cream sandwich every now and then!
He also told me one Labor Day, Kiwanis club members had to hold down the tents due to tropical storm winds. Fun memories for sure.
The Kiwanis Fair was an icon of Bernards Township culture throughout the 60s and 70s. I remember the pony rides and dog shows and antique cars while in elementary school. Later I remember the dunking booth, Oompa Band, carnival rides and Up With People & RHS band concerts. The last fair (‘83) that I attended was as part of the first aid standby with LCFAS and my wife of 40 years (Liz Allen Harris) after the parade.