Bobby Porter, age 12, of Egan, South Dakota, for his question:

HOW LONG HAVE WE BEEN HAVING FAIRS?

Fairs and expositions had their beginnings in ancient times. About 1000 B.C. in the Arabic city of Mecca there were great religious festivals held by pilgrims. The ancient Greeks also had festivals honoring their gods and so did the Romans.

In the Middle Ages there were fairs in China and in a number of European countries.

In the 1600s in England, the most important fair opened on St. Bartholomew's Day, Aug. 24. This was a place where people could have fun and also buy clothing, jewelry toys and other items. It was the first great fair to put amusements above everything else. Bartholomew Fair had circus and vaudeville acts.

The Berkshire Cattle Show in Massachusetts was first held in 1810 and was the type of fair that quickly became popular across the continent.