Thanks to volunteers, fair thrived in 50th year
As we glance back at the fun-filled and eventful week that marked the 50th installment of the Warren County A&L Fair, there’s reason to give thanks to all the volunteers who made the event a resounding success.
Organizing a week-long fair which sees well over 100,000 visitors is a daunting task. There are no shortcuts, no easy ways to sidestep the fact that a barnyard of workers are needed to make sure the fair trots along with the grace of a walking horse.
When it comes to the fair, the local volunteers come out in force and for that we’re grateful.
There are 24 members of the fair’s board of directors. As fair president Steve Grandey will tell you, some of those volunteers begin working on the fairgrounds in March. They continue steady maintenance on the buildings and the grounds all the way up to fair week in September.
Outside of the board of directors, over 260 volunteers are listed in this year’s fair book. It takes every one of them – and countless others working at food booths and in cubicles under the grandstand – to make the fair the week-long extravaganza we all anticipate like the coming of Christmas.
Volunteer labor is of utmost importance because, as has been well documented over the years, Warren County has one of the few free fairs left in Tennessee. Where other fairs charge admission just to walk through the gate, Warren countians have the luxury of visiting the fair as often as we like without ever paying a penny.
This year, that free admission policy gave thousands of Trace Adkins fans the chance to see one of country music’s fastest-rising stars for absolutely nothing. In this day when it’s common to see concert tickets approach $50 or $75, just for one ticket, the Trace Adkins concert was the bargain of the year.
There has never been a charge to watch traditional favorites such as the Fairest of the Fair beauty pageant, the tractor pull, and the walking horse show. It costs nothing to see bluegrass and gospel singing.
If you sit back and wonder how the Warren County A&L Fair can offer so much for free, the answer is simple. It’s through the tireless effort put forth by fair volunteers.
This year’s fair was one of the most enjoyable and best-run events to date. And to all the volunteers who made it happen, we extend our warmest gratitude.