Preparing For The Fair – First activity starts tonight
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The 54th annual Warren County A&L Fair begins tonight at 6 p.m. with a goat show, and reaches full throttle this weekend with a horse show, tractor pull and gospel singing.
‘If nothing blows up between now and Saturday morning, we’re in good shape,’ fair president Steve Grandey said Wednesday. ‘I’d say we’re as prepared as we’ve ever been.’
Fair officials want to stress a change in food preparation and floral entries, which have traditionally been accepted on Monday. Those entries will now be accepted tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., along with entries in agriculture, canning, ceramics, clothing, arts, crafts, photography, and nursery.
‘The way we’d been doing it, we’d have all our entries in except for floral and food preparation,’ said Grandey. ‘Everything was in but those two departments. This way it will allow us to have almost everything in Saturday night.’
Saturday’s events include a Warren County Saddle Club fun show beginning at noon, and an antique tractor pull and bluegrass music, both starting at 6 p.m. The petting zoo opens at noon.
On Sunday, the ever-popular gospel singing is from 1 to 4:30 p.m. Jeff Barnes will serve as host in place of fair fixture Bud Godwin, who died in March.
‘I can’t remember having gospel singing without Bud here,’ said Grandey.
This week has been hectic as workers make final preparations for the nine-day extravaganza.
On Wednesday, River Park employee Roy Lance was on the roof of the hospital’s Fairfield Village cottage hanging two signs. Jenny Kelsey was busy decorating the antique shed located next to the grandstand. Her husband, Regan Kelsey, is the fair’s third vice president.
‘My husband got me involved in this about 10 years ago and I just love it,’ said Jenny. ‘It’s so much fun to come out here and take the kids through the chicken house, or to see their faces light up as they walk through the fair.’