Community brings concerns over absent Fair Hill Races to state officials

FAIR HILL — A Memorial and Labor Day staple for almost 85 years, the Fair Hill Races were last held in the spring of 2019, which has led to speculation and concern that the storied races were gone for good.

Community members, spearheaded by Cecil County Councilmember Al Miller and the Fair Hill Foundation, attended a meeting organized by the Maryland State Department of Natural Resources this past Tuesday at the Fair Hill Tea Barn to discuss the Races’ absence and seek information from DNR officials.

“As the permanent private partner with the State of Maryland raising funds to ensure the Special Event Zone becomes a fully functioning, internationally recognized equestrian facility for eventing, showing, racing and training, we are committed to helping in any way we can and were pleased by the opportunity to participate in this meeting,” said Fair Hill Foundation President Charles Fenwick, Jr. in a statement following the meeting.

The fairgrounds were classified as a Special Event Zone by the state after a $20 million dollar project built new courses and arenas that have allowed Fair Hill to host the Maryland 5 Star event for the past several years. Unfortunately, community members told DNR staffers, the race course has been almost exclusively utilized by the 5 Star since the construction of the project was completed in 2020.

Josh Kurtz, Secretary of the DNR, was present at the meeting to hear concerns and to shed some light on the DNR’s plans for the fairgrounds.

According to Kurtz, the DNR hopes to utilize the facilities at Fair Hill more often and in various ways.

“There are many opportunities from racing to concerts, as well as local economic development,” Kurtz said. “This meeting is the first of a series of conversations with stakeholders to develop a long range plan for the future.”

He also announced that the DNR is creating a full-time position that will manage the SEZ and its usage.

The Fair Hill Foundation, a non-profit formed in 2016 by local horsemen and women, presented many of the community’s concerns to Kurtz and the DNR, stating that their goal is to continue helping Fair Hill grow into an internationally recognized facility.

Directly tied to the absence of the races, one of the major concerns raised was the fact that “virtually no horses” have been allowed onto Fair Hill’s turf course since it was built over five years ago.

Additionally, the issue of heavy equipment crossing the tracks was raised. The equipment is necessary for assembling and dismantling the infrastructure used for the 5 Star, but it puts the course out of commission for more than half the year, the Foundation told Kurtz.

The Foundation asked the DNR what solutions could be implemented to alleviate track crossing issue, as well as for clarification as to which individual or entity under the DNR would be in charge of day-to-day management of the Special Event Zone.

“We are grateful to Secretary Kurtz and the DNR for providing an update on the state of the racecourse and giving the community the chance to comment,” Fenwick, Jr. said.