ORANGE COUNTY, N.Y.—The Orange County Agricultural Society (OCAS) is as old as the Orange County Fair itself, and their histories are inseparable.
The OCAS’s origins begin in 1808, when farmers in Orange County formed an agricultural society to help start an Orange County fair. They tried several times to start the fair over the years but failed to gain public interest. County leaders finally took notice in 1841 and officially formed the OCAS.
The first Orange County Fair was held in November 1841, two months after the society’s creation. The Orange County Fair is one of the oldest fairs in New York….