About Us
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The Dutchess County Agricultural Society, Inc. is a non profit 501c5 corporation. The 65 member society is made up of interested men and women who elect the 16 member Board of Directors. This group oversees all aspects of the operation of the fair and all off season events. The General Manager works with and communicates directly to the Board. A permanent staff of eleven produces the various events and maintains the 168-acre facility throughout the year. The number of paid staff and volunteers during the fair grows to several hundred.
In addition to producing the annual fair which always runs the third full week in August, the organization hosts numerous outstanding events throughout the year. Crafts at Rhinebeck, Classic Car Shows, Antique Shows, a Sheep and Wool Festival and Wine and Food Festival are just some of the popular events that attract over a million patrons to the fairgrounds annually. Increasingly, the Dutchess County Fairgrounds is becoming a destination for family fun and wholesome entertainment in the beautiful Hudson Valley.
With over 160 fairs to its credit, The Dutchess County Fair boasts "a tradition of excellence." With great pride in our past, we now have our sights squarely focused on the future. Plans are underway to further expand the Turn of the Century Village that now showcases the One Room Schoolhouse. Discussions continue on a working Sugar House and Cider Mill right on the fairgrounds. "Spectacular Lights and Holiday Nights" a drive-through attraction utilizing much of the fairgrounds is being planned for the Holidays in 2008.
It is hoped that the fairgrounds will continue to attract a list of varied and entertaining activities, shows and events. The fair, however, must always remain true to the Society's founding. The Dutchess County Fair will continue to be about showcasing agriculture. It is our mission and our goal to always "preserve, promote, and protect the agricultural integrity of this great fair."
