History of the National Barrow Show at the
Mower County Fair
The National Barrow Show has been held at the Mower County Fairgrounds in Austin, Minnesota, since 1946 — a history spanning 80 years as of 2026!
The Mower County Fairgrounds was selected as the permanent home of the National Barrow Show, largely because of the support of the George A. Hormel Company and the local agricultural community.
The original Crane Pavilion was constructed specifically to accommodate the show.
An interesting piece of history: The original Crane Pavilion was destroyed by lightning and fire in April 1955, but it was rebuilt in time for that September's National Barrow Show.
For publicity or a grant application, you could say:
"The Mower County Fairgrounds has proudly served as the home of the National Barrow Show since its inception in 1946, celebrating 80 years of supporting and promoting the swine industry in 2026."
Since the
National Barrow Show began in Austin, Minnesota in 1946, the event at the Mower County Fairgrounds has been officially canceled
twice (along with one additional year in 1952 when the show was heavily restricted due to a swine disease outbreak):
Official Cancellations
- 2020 (COVID-19 Pandemic). The National Swine Registry, Hormel Foods, and the Mower County Fair Association canceled the Austin event to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. An alternative show was temporarily hosted at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines by Certified Pedigreed Swine and the American Berkshire.
- 2001 (Foot-and-Mouth Disease). Organizers canceled the show due to biosecurity concerns over the international foot-and-mouth disease epidemic, which posed a severe threat to livestock herds.
- 1952 (Vesicular Exanthema Outbreak). While a modified version of the event still took place, the 1952 show was severely curtailed after a national emergency was declared for vesicular exanthema of swine, preventing out-of-state hogs from traveling to Austin.