Volunteers the reason fair continues to thrive
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Up next is a full lineup of baby shows this afternoon. There’s the Fairest of the Fair beauty pageant Thursday night. There’s the horse show Saturday night.
There are rides that will spin, jerk and otherwise hurl you in every direction. There are funnel cakes. There are food booths. And there are bags and bags of cotton candy.
For anyone who might not have noticed, the Warren County A&L Fair is in town and with it has come all the thrills and excitement only the fair can bring.
Last year marked a milestone, the 50th installment of the Warren County A&L Fair.
Now entering its 51st year, much has changed about the fair over the years, but one thing has remained the same – volunteers are the backbone of our fair and the reason for its overwhelming success.
Organizing a week-long fair which sees over 150,000 visitors is a daunting task. There are no shortcuts, no easy ways to sidestep the fact that a grandstand of workers are needed to make sure the fair trots along with the grace of a walking horse.
Enter the spirit of giving for which Warren countians are famous. Whether it’s giving money to support a charity or giving time to support an organization, local residents are always eager to help.
And when it comes to the fair, it would take more than a high-powered tractor to drag the volunteers away. For that we’re grateful.
According to this year’s fair book, there are 48 members on the fair’s board of directors. As fair president Steve Grandey will tell you, working on the fairgrounds is a year-round event. The fair buildings are not new, which means steady maintenance on the buildings and the grounds is required.
Outside of the board of directors, over 200 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.
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. Throw in the fact you can park for free at our fair and some organizers say it’s the last totally free fair in the state, although that isn’t known for sure.
Warren countians have the luxury of visiting the fair as often as we like without ever paying a penny. When looking at other fairs, ours is a bargain indeed.
Take, for example, the Tennessee State Fair currently under way this week in Nashville. Adult admission at the state fair is $8.
Admission is $4 for children 3-12. It costs $3 just to park. All that could quickly add up to $23 for a family of four – and that’s before the first ride or first candy apple.
This year, our fair’s free admission policy gave hundreds of Dierks Bentley fans the chance to see him at no cost. In this day when it’s common to see concert tickets sell for $30, $40 or $50, just for one ticket, the Dierks Bentley show was the bargain of the year.
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 is shaping up as 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.