Sandra Lee Reveals the Life-Changing Fair That Inspired Her ‘Fair’est of Them All’ Series
From Del Mar to The Big E, Sandra Lee celebrates the women shaping America’s fairs
Key Takeaways
- Sandra Lee sold her only car at age 22 to fund her first-ever booth at the Del Mar Fair.
- Discover how trailblazer Helen Storrow revolutionized the fair circuit in the early 1900s.
- Sandra Lee is touring the country to spotlight the innovation and heart behind iconic fairs.
Over the next few months, in honor of America’s 250th birthday, Woman’s World and beloved television host and chef Sandra Lee will spotlight iconic fairs across the country and the trailblazing women shaping them. Here, the Semi-Homemade creator shares her heartwarming story of how the San Diego County Fair launched her career and honors the women who paved the way.
“Well, I have an idea for you,” my boss told me after I told him I’d no longer be able to work for him because I needed to make more money. I was 22 and desperate to pay off my student loans, so his proposition piqued my interest.
“What’s that?” I asked him.
“Apply for a booth at the fair to sell a home security product,” he said.
“A fair? Cotton candy and elephant ears?” I had loved fairs since I was 8 years old, but I didn’t see how it could help me financially.
“Yes, a fair. I’ll front the product, and you pay for your booth space,” he said.
How am I going to do that? I wondered.
But that summer, I took his offer, sold my car and used the money to apply for a booth at the Del Mar Fair—now called the San Diego County Fair.
I was only able to afford a 10×10 booth, but I proudly stood there for 14 hours a day for three weeks, lived in a Motel 6 and reinvested my earnings into the next fair, paying off the products—and my student loans.
It was a turning point for me that proved if I was diligent about securing what I needed to get to the next level of my life, I would succeed. Eventually, I made enough money to buy a cargo van.
Back then, it wasn’t about agriculture or ribbons — it was about learning, building a business and seeing what was possible.
Everything changed in 1992 when I won a blue ribbon at the Los Angeles County Fair for booth display and design. There weren’t entry forms back then, so I was completely surprised. As I became captivated by fair life, I learned what goes into the planning and preparation, and I discovered many fairs had been run by amazing women across generations.
Women of the fair
Last year, when I started my Best in Fair tour, which is leading up to America’s 250th anniversary, I went to The Big E Fair in Massachusetts, where Eastern States Exposition President Gene Cassidy told me the story of Boston philanthropist Helen Storrow.
I couldn’t believe that a woman in the early 1900s had such power within a male-dominated world. Women couldn’t even vote yet, but Helen walked in and established the home department for the entire fair circuit we have today, beginning with The Big E.
Helen didn’t stop there. She spent her own money moving buildings to create the community of Storrowton Village. Now, fairgoers get to see the original schoolhouse, church, blacksmith shop and houses of that era. Today, Storrowton Village is what separates The Big E from other fairs — it is truly special.
I’m in awe of Helen. She also lifted up the Girl Scouts organization and helped catapult fairs from just livestock and farming into the home space and then to concessions. What she accomplished remains and continues to grow today.
Fair’est of Them All
Over the next few months, Woman’s World will highlight incredible women across the country who make the fair industry what it is today in our new “Fair’est of Them All” column.
We’re going from The Big E with Helen Storrow to the Wisconsin State Fair and the Washington State Fair, the fair of my childhood. For me, the stories were inspired by the women at the Del Mar Fair all those years ago, who were so open-armed, brave and made all the difference in my life.
Chief Operating Officer Katie Mueller of the San Diego County Fair (which runs June 10 to July 5 this year) says, “Today, you see visionary women leading fairs and driving innovation in communities across California and the nation.”
And that couldn’t be more true.
I’m so grateful to feature the women who make this American pastime so special and to acknowledge Helen Storrow, who was instrumental in creating the events we all look forward to every year. Fairs are entertainment, community, philanthropy and the anchors of the most beloved parts of America.
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