[Irving Phillips, The Baltimore Sun]

Throngs of people converged on downtown Baltimore in September 1970 for what became a tradition known as the City Fair.

For more than 20 years, the annual fall event mixed traditions of a county fair, block party and flower mart. Its planners created the event to overcome the setback that Baltimore suffered after the 1968 riots. It was conceived as a showcase of city neighborhoods and ethnic traditions set within a rebuilding downtown.

“A unique idea and a familiar tradition merged yesterday to give more than 10,000 people at the opening of the Baltimore City Fair a deeper understanding of their city as well as an afternoon of carnival excitement,” The Baltimore Sun reported Sept. 26, 1970.

September 1970 was a hot month. Temperatures on Sept. 26 tied a record of 93 degrees. A storm swept through after the first fair day and toppled neighborhood booths and displays, prompting City Fair chairman Christopher Hartman to say, “It was really a mess.”

East Baltimore, Charles Village and the American Indian Center’s displays were ruined by the gusts.

“Union Square helped restore Gay Street and Mount Holly helped restore Charles Village,” Hartman said.

The fair ended on a Sunday evening with nearly 65,000 people watching a “loud and colorful” fireworks display from Pier One on Pratt Street, Federal Hill, Little Italy and other areas.

The Sun reported that 340,000 people visited the fair over three days. One fair visitor wrote in a public comment book, “Let’s have more fairs.”