R 308
2016 -- H 8346
Enacted 06/14/2016

H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N
JOYOUSLY CELEBRATING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE WASHINGTON COUNTY FAIR

Introduced By: Representatives Price, Giarrusso, Roberts, Filippi, and Costa
Date Introduced: June 14, 2016

     WHEREAS, The Washington County Fair, owned and operated by the Washington
County Pomona Grange, will be celebrating its 50th Anniversary in 2016 from August 17th to the
21st. The Fair is Rhode Island's largest agricultural event and includes daily concerts, many with a
country music flavor, along with a giant midway area, a kiddy land area, rides, games, and an
abundance of agricultural events including tractor and horse pulls, exhibits and displays, and a
farm museum; and
     WHEREAS, The Washington County Fair, had its beginnings in 1967, when it was held
on the grounds of the Perryville Grange in Wakefield. The fair was held in Wakefield for two
more years before it moved to its current home in Richmond, when a large tract of land was
purchased to serve as the home of the Washington County Fair and as a recreational area for other
organizations to use. Soon after the purchase was made, many Grange volunteers got to work
making the land suitable for holding community events. Additionally, over the years these
volunteers made numerous improvements and added many amenities to the fairgrounds, including
the addition of a new sheep and goat barn, a museum holding a vast array of agricultural
equipment and artifacts from the past, and a third ring for pulling events; and
     WHEREAS, The Washington County Pomona Grange is a dedicated group of volunteers
who donate much of their time in service to the community. In addition to running the
Washington County Fair, they knit hats for newborns at hospitals, donate new dictionaries to
elementary schools, give food to local food banks, provide financial scholarships to high school
students, and support the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, 4-H clubs, FFA, and other agricultural
organizations; now, therefore be it
     RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island and
Providence Plantations hereby joyously celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the Washington
County Fair; and be it further
     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to
transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Mr. Clyde S. Fish, II, Chairman, The
Washington County Fair.
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LC006072
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