Salem and the city has historically recognized and celebrated it in a number of
ways. In 1861, Salem was chosen as the permanent site of the Oregon State Fair
by the Oregon State Agricultural Association. Salem is nicknamed the
"Cherry City", because of the past importance of the local
cherry-growing industry. The first cherry festival in Salem was held in 1903
and was an annual event, with parades and the election of a cherry queen, until
sometime after World War I. The event was briefly revived as the Salem
Cherryland Festival for several years in the late 1940s
