Martha McSherry celebrates 80th consecutive year at Tulsa State Fair

Martha McSherry attended her 80th straight Tulsa State Fair in Tulsa. The 84-year-old resident marked the yearly tradition eight decades after her mother first took her.

McSherry attended her first fair in 1946. She was 4 years old at the time. She has returned every single year.

Admission cost 10 cents during her first visit. Rides also cost about a dime back then, according to McSherry. Her family did not own a car.

A family trip to the event remained a priority. McSherry grew up in Tulsa. She watched the fairgrounds transform over the decades.

Farmland once surrounded the fairgrounds. Families could spot the lights across the Tulsa skyline. New exhibits and technology arrived over the decades.

Some historic attractions eventually disappeared. McSherry recalled the fun house and the house of horrors. Butter sculptures in a refrigerated exhibit room also vanished.

Fair food evolved over time. Early treats included cotton candy and candy apples. The menu later expanded to funnel cakes, fried green tomatoes, corn dogs and lemonade.

Corn on the cob remains a top favorite for her.

“It always tastes better out there,” McSherry said.

She attended with her mother, school friends, children and grandchildren. Her husband joined her for about 63 years of fair visits. She attended without him this year.

The couple rode a large enclosed Ferris wheel at Chicago’s Navy Pier in the late 1980s or early 1990s. They later recognized the same wheel at the Tulsa fairgrounds.

Fair grounds host seasonal events, agricultural shows and midways for regional communities. Public fairgrounds feature exhibition halls alongside amusement rides and vendor booths.

“You’ll not regret it,” McSherry said. She pledged to visit again in 2036 and 2046.