The Mansfield Noon Optimist Home and Flower Show began in 1950 to raise funds for the youth in our community. It also helped to promote local businesses in our area.
In 1967, the show underwent a complete revision and reorganization. The secondary theme of the show was changed from “Flower Show” to “leisure living”, and the show moved to the Westinghouse Electrical Workers CIO Hall on East Fourth Street. In 1970 the show was expanded and moved again to the Richland County Fairgrounds to use the new Fairhaven Hall. Then in 1973, it moved again to Richland Mall where over 4,000 people were expected to view that year's show. This would quadruple any previous audience in the show's history.
The show was eventually moved back to its present site of the Richland County Fairgrounds. The show used three buildings to make room for the vendors. The economic downturn in 2008 made things difficult and the show only needed two buildings to house the vendors. In 2020 the show had its only cancellation in its history due to the pandemic. One day before the show was to start it was canceled.
The committee held a show in May of 2021 hoping the restrictions due to the pandemic were at a point that it could be held safely. 2022 will see the show held for two days instead of the previous three days. Concerns over the continued pandemic and shortages in vendor staffing may help make the show more manageable.