Centennial

The Hay Palace

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In 1915, the Fallon town folk constructed, out of several alfalfa hay bales, a sizable, authentic-looking, medieval palace for the Nevada State Fair. That year, less than a decade after its 1908 incorporation, the City of Fallon hosted the Fair, an annual recreational and competitive event for Silver State residents and visitors.

During the festivities, the castle served as home to the Fair's king and queen. With the royal pair presiding, on thrones of hay, dances took place inside. Palace visitors were given miniature hay bales and ground alfalfa meal cookies.

The Alfalfa Hay Palace, erected at the southeast corner of Maine and Center Streets, measured 60 square feet in size and had 18-feet-high walls. The necessary 44 tons of hay required for this structure were donated by the I.H. Kent Company, then a mercantile business.