In just a few days, as dusk falls along U.S. Business 301, those colorful entertainment lights will be calling.
So will the foot-long hot dogs, corn dogs and sausages, with the grilled peppers and onions, and turkey legs, funnel cakes, candy apples and cotton candy. And don’t forget the folks on the midway daring you to test your skills at the many challenge games.
The Cumberland County Fair is scheduled to open Friday at the Crown Complex. A ribbon-cutting, according to a news release, is scheduled for 4:45 p.m., with the fair opening at 5 p.m. and running through Sept. 8.
“We are incredibly excited about hosting the Cumberland County Fair,” says Maddy Eversole, marketing director for the Oak View Group and the Crown. “Our team puts a huge amount of work and heart into organizing and hosting the event for the community. We all know that many families come out and make those truly important formative fun memories at the county fair, and we’re so proud to be a part of that.”
The fair theme, Eversole says, is “On Your Mark. Get Set. FAIR.”
“The main place where people will see that theme is in the County Extension’s large exhibit that they put together,” Eversole says. “That’s the section in the arena where they set up a large area that educates the community about some aspect of our agricultural history, present and past. This year, a facet of that education will be the history of how agriculture in our area played a role in the start of car racing.”
Beyond the Sizzler
We older folks will appreciate the agriculture theme. But let’s be honest with one another. Fair thrill-seekers love the fair for those exciting entertainment rides.
“Our fair will have 26 different rides, including the classic Giant Wheel and Grand Carousel,” Eversole says. “There are six rides that are only intended for children. There are two interactive playground-maze type rides, where children can go through with or without an adult. There are also a number of rides like the Fun Slide and Bear Affair that can accommodate most guests, and an additional roller coaster that children of a certain height can ride with an adult. We will have 12 adventure rides including the Zipper, Air Flyer, Zero Gravity, YoYo, the Beast and the Sizzler.”
When you become my age, you leave the thrill-rides to the young folks, not the faint-hearted. We older folks tend to spend most of our fair time taking in the agricultural exhibits, the homemade jellies and jams, the crafts, or just perusing the midway.
“The fair is a great opportunity to showcase our county’s agricultural products,” says Lisa Benzaquen Childers, the county extension director. “Last year, our theme was centered around Charlotte’s Web, and this year I selected a race car theme. Using a race car theme, we are bringing to life a farm scene in the middle of a race track. Our good friends at Lafayette Ford have helped us secure a race car that visitors can enjoy. In addition to the exhibit, there will be the competitive entries area filled with homemade clothing, arts and crafts, handicrafts, canned fruits and vegetables, jams and jellies, baked goods, floriculture, agriculture and horticulture.”
One of her favorite aspects of the fair, she said, is the junior livestock shows — to include junior laying hens, market lambs, meat goats and beef heifers.
That’s more my speed these days.
And Childers quite is pleased to tell you about the annual “Little Ewe” Jump Start Livestock Clinic for children ages two to four that’s scheduled for 5 p.m. on Sept. 4.
“We started this clinic years ago to provide youth with an opportunity to learn the process and techniques of showing livestock to encourage future livestock show participation,” she says. “Another fun event is the Youth Livestock Show and Sale [that] will be Sept. 4 at 7:30 p.m. The fair will also have animals on display to give children the chance to see an array of live animals.”
If you plan to attend
General admission is $10, Eversole says, but “almost every day we have a special that allows attendees to save on admission, and even food and rides.”
If you are in the military, there’s no charge for admission Friday, but you’ll need your military ID. Bring your church bulletin on Sept. 1 or Sept. 8 for Faith and Family Day, and general admission is $5. Admission is just $2 on Sept. 3, and if you are 65 or older, there’s no charge. BOGO is scheduled Sept. 4, where you purchase one admission ticket, and a second admission ticket is free; the same for unlimited ride wristbands and concessions, i.e. hot dogs, corn dogs, funnel cakes and fried Oreos. No admission charge for school students and personnel on Sept. 5, with proper ID, and if you bring six cans of non-perishable food items in support of Second Harvest Food Bank “Day of Giving,” there’s no charge.
“Ride credits start at 25 cents, and most rides require between 10 and 25 credits,” Eversole says. “The Unlimited Rides Wristband is $30. All wristbands require a $2 activation fee.” (Some might object to the activation fee as a bit greedy, and you can include me among those.)
One other attraction that might strike your fancy is the nightly 90-minute performance of the Ember Fire Arts, and it’s sure to be a “hot” presentation for sure.
Visit cumberlandcountyfair.org for opening gate times and more fair information.
Epilogue
You just have to love the county fair, going all the way back to when it was down off Gillespie Street by the old tobacco warehouses. Close your eyes, and you may recall Captain & Tennille performing on stage in the early 1970s. Or you may remember Jack Kochman’s “Hell Drivers” and their daring driving feats.
“Last year, we welcomed tens of thousands of people to the Crown Complex for the Cumberland County Fair,” Eversole says.
It’s something akin to a rite of passage. It’s the county fair, and it’s almost here.
One more thing … keep your distance when the Ember Fire Arts lady puts that solution in her mouth before sending an inferno of flames into the night, and don’t go crazy, for the sake of your waistline, over those fried Oreos.
Bill Kirby Jr. can be reached at billkirby49@gmail.com or 910-624-1961.
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