Entertainment was varied.

Springfieldians have entertained themselves in many other ways over the years besides with sports. Always popular were the street fairs, carnivals, festivals, exhibitions and traveling tent shows that were prevalent in the early days. Among the people who got their start in show business in one of those shows here, according to his account, was Will Rogers who performed at a rodeo here just before the turn of the century.

Some of the shows used the square or other vacant area downtown for their presentations but the circuses and fairs very early used the fairgrounds which was located at several locations, including one near Park Avenue and Mt. Vernon Street.

A Southwest district fair was established in 1856. A fair has been a favorite entertainment for Springfieldians and their neighbors ever since. The Ozarks Empire Fair has been entertaining southwest Missourians since 1929 at the present fairgrounds in north Springfield, carved out a portion of the Dickerson Park property.