The White County Fair, one of the state’s oldest and longest running fairs, officially opens this weekend in Sparta.
Fair Board President Mike Wilson said the first White County fair began in 1855, and it arrived to the current location after several moves. Wilson said the fair has seen a lot of growth in the time he has been on the board, but the old-school grounds make it unique.
“We also have a lot of trees and things in our ground, which makes it really nice for shade on those hot days,” Wilson said. “We hear that comment a lot. A lot of people really enjoy coming to our grounds just because of the environment, and also just like I said, the shading and things you don’t see in most fairgrounds that you go to.”
Wilson said the fairgrounds also feature a vintage grandstand with food booths. Wilson said a hospitable volunteer base is another reason people come back to the fair every year. The White County Fair officially opens on Friday night.
Wilson said the fair’s planning is always going on, and he and the board will get to work on next year’s event as soon as this one ends.
“Obviously, a lot of fairs do that, but yeah, we’re hard at work year round,” Wilson said. “It’s not just something that is a week or six weeks before the fair. It’s a year-long project where we’re always meeting and planning for the current, following year fair.”
Wilson said the White County Fair is a big community event. He said people from both White County and the surrounding areas visit for the fair.
“It’s just a staple,” Wilson said. “It’s just one of those things that you expect, especially around Labor Day. It’s a tradition people come to expect and come visit with us. And it’s something we pride ourselves in. We look forward to having people visit with us.”
Wilson said this year’s fair is different than years past as the schedule of events has expanded. He said the fair beauty pageant and baby pagaent were held a few weeks ago, and a rodeo was held last weekend.
The week-long fair will run through September 6, and a walking horse show will be held on the 12th.
