CANFIELD, Ohio — Demolition derby, tractor pulls and the wiener dog race may be some of the Canfield Fair’s most popular attractions, but the longest line award goes to Youngstown Clothing Co.’s Canfield Fair T-shirt booth.
Youngstown Clothing Co. has sold out nearly every year since it started selling T-shirts at the annual Canfield Fair, which will take place from Aug. 28 to Sept. 2. As fairgoers count down the days til fair week, the company is already busy making this year’s T-shirts so everyone can have their own “wearable memory.”
“It’s more about what it represents, the pride that you get from being from this area or living in this area,” said Michelle McClure, co-owner of Youngstown Clothing Co. “People love to have that memory.”
Youngstown Clothing Co.
Michelle and her brother-in-law, Matt McClure, opened up Youngstown Clothing Co. in 2015 with the goal of representing the local area’s unique traditions. They started by selling six different T-shirts at The Youngstown Flea.
It was when they created an online website that the company really took off, with orders coming from all over the country. Soon after, Michelle and Matt started looking for other sales avenues and eventually partnered with the Canfield Fair in 2019 to make its annual fair T-shirts.
“Whenever we got connected with the fair, it was a match made in heaven,” Michelle said. “I was raised by farmers so I always grew up at fairs. The first time I went to the Canfield Fair, I was blown away … (it was) the best fair (I’d) ever been to.”
Every year, the Youngstown Clothing Co. designs 13 different shirts that represent nearly every aspect of the fair, from the famous wiener dog race to the giant pumpkin and fair food.
It began selling only adult T-shirts but has since expanded to include kids’ T-shirts, onesies, hats, hoodies and stickers. They have also added games like Chuck-a-luck and Plinko where fairgoers have a chance to win a free T-shirt.
The shirts are made in the United States and come in navy, grey, charcoal, black, white and cream. A portion of the proceeds support the Canfield Fair and 4-H. The company also makes what Michelle calls the “indecisive shopper” shirt, which features a collage of all the different fair events that come in a “special” color every year.
In addition to the wide selection, Michelle takes suggestions for new T-shirt designs, constantly taking notes on her phone to jot down ideas for next year.
“There’s just so many different things (that) light up people’s faces. We really try to celebrate all those things that people keep coming back for,” Michelle said.
Over the years, many fair attendees have started collecting the fair shirts. Tracey Parks is one of those people who buys T-shirts every year for her and her family.
“It’s like a family tradition for us,” Parks said. “I forward (pictures) to my kids and they and their siblings and my grandkids all pick out what they want … so that everybody, when they come to the fair, they all have fair shirts.”
Parks says the shirts are made of soft fabric and don’t lose their quality after washing them. She adds the company works hard to keep its inventory stocked, making and delivering new shirts quickly after they sell out.
Michelle is already halfway through making this year’s fair T-shirts. The first look at the new shirt designs will be released on Youngstown Clothing Co.’s Instagram and Facebook a week before the Canfield Fair.
“We love where we live and love where we’re from, and just want to celebrate it,” Michelle said. That’s part of why we’ve grown, too, is (that) people love it, too, and they get it. Even if they had to move away, it’s still that sense of home.”
(Liz Partsch can be reached at epartsch@farmanddairy.com or 330-337-3419.)
