Black & White Days

The very first Holstein show in Richmond was held in 1912. Local dairymen drove their best Holsteins into the old LDS tithing yard (where Harris Dairyland is now located). Judges rode through the herds and picked out the best cattle.

A short break in 1913/14 was due to a national emergency caused by hoof-and-mouth disease when nearly ALL livestock shows and auctions were closed in the efforts to prevent the spread of the disease and to eradicate it from herds.

By 1915, though, the disease had been stopped (through vaccination and the destruction of infected animals and herds) and the show resumed. Since then, the show has continued uninterrupted.

As the cattle show and sale continued to grow, other events were added to the celebration. Carnival rides, food vendors, footraces, and a parade were incorporated. The Saturday evening horse pull now caps the week-long event.

Check out these photos from Black & White Days in 1937 and 1939. 

110th BLACK & WHITE DAYS

The 109th Black & White Days celebration was held May 13th - 18th, 2024. 

The 110th year event will be held May 12th - 17th, 2025. 

Click HERE to see a collection of photos from the 2024 event taken by Pristine Photo. Thank you Tina E! 

PARADE

The Black & White Days parade is held on the Saturday of Black & White Days week and starts at 5:00 P.M. 

It begins at 600 South State Street, heads north, turns west at Main Street, then turns south at 100 West, ending at the Park Community Center. The parade line up starts at 800 South State Street. 

BOOTH RESERVATION

The Richmond Lions Club host the vendor booths. Please contact Roger Priest via email at richmondcitylions [at] gmail.com with questions or to reserve a booth space. 

HORSE SHOW

The horse show starts on Saturday morning at 9:00 A.M. and goes until all classifications are complete.