ony ▁to ▁hard ▁work ▁and ▁the ▁fruit ful ness ▁of ▁the ▁soil , ▁but ▁it ▁lost ▁its ▁religious ▁significance ▁and ▁it ▁was ▁no ▁longer ▁viewed ▁as ▁a ▁means ▁of ▁prom oting ▁self - su ffic iency . ▁ ▁Ut ah ' s ▁agricult ural ▁system ▁had ▁evol ved ▁from ▁a ▁local ▁market ▁and ▁was ▁no ▁longer ▁ge ograph ically , ▁soci ally ▁or ▁cult ur ally ▁isolated ▁from ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁country . ▁The ▁fair ▁was ▁now ▁seen ▁as ▁serving ▁public ▁relations ▁and ▁commercial ▁purposes . ▁It ▁was , ▁" a ▁way ▁of ▁extending ▁our ▁mark ets ▁and ▁the ▁advert ising ▁agents ▁of ▁the ▁state ." ▁The ▁Fair ' s ▁purpose ▁was ▁not ▁only ▁the ▁promotion ▁of ▁Ut ah ▁but , ▁also ▁the ▁promotion ▁of ▁the ▁entire ▁nation . ▁The ▁Ut ah ▁State ▁Fair ▁was ▁seen ▁as ▁simply ▁one ▁of ▁many ▁state ▁fair s ▁that ▁worked ▁to ▁" adv ance ▁the ▁countries ▁w elf are ." ▁ ▁Fair ▁history ▁N ine ▁years ▁after ▁the ▁pione ers ▁arrived ▁in ▁the ▁Salt ▁Lake ▁Valley , ▁they ▁held ▁their ▁first ▁state ▁fair ▁in ▁October ▁ 1 8 5 6 ▁then ▁called ▁the ▁" Des er et ▁Fair ". ▁Although ▁the ▁exhib its ▁were ▁described ▁as ▁me ager , ▁the ▁public ▁showed ▁keen ▁interest ▁and ▁eager ly ▁sought ▁space ▁to ▁display ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁fin est ▁products ▁from ▁their ▁own ▁homes , ▁sh ops , ▁and ▁fields . ▁ ▁Until ▁the ▁current ▁Fair park ▁location ▁was ▁acquired , ▁finding ▁a ▁home ▁for ▁the ▁fair ▁always ▁presented