The DeKalb County Fair will host some 15,000 people for traditional agricultural events, motorsports and community gatherings this week.
DeKalb County Fair Representative Jeff McMillen said the event is recognized as one of the oldest fairs in the South and functions as a significant community reunion. McMillen said the fair board operates as an entirely volunteer organization that works year-round to coordinate the nightly entertainment, rides and competitions.
“It’s more of a get-together, kind of like a community gathering for the week,” McMillen said. “People will come back to the fair to see people that they haven’t seen in since the last fair and it’s a small fair, easy to get on and off rides.”
In a time of surging prices for leisure activities, McMillen said the county fair is some of the most fun for the best price you can find during the summer time.
“It’s just it’s just a tradition,” McMillen said. “I mean, you know, we’ve been doing this since well we haven’t, but the fair’s been going on since 1856 in DeKalb County and you know Putnam County at I don’t have an answer exactly but Putnam County has a great fair and Smith County has a great fair and they’re all well attended by people from their communities and our communities and and we we do the same to them.”
McMillen said the schedule includes nightly cash drawings at 9:30 at the Lions Pavilion and various motorsports at the TC McMillen Arena. McMillen said the arena will host ATV and motorcycle racing on Monday and Tuesday, a truck and tractor pull on Thursday, and a demolition derby on Saturday.
“I don’t really have an answer why they’re still going, but it’s cheap it’s actually cheap entertainment,” McMillen said. “Yes, it does cost a lot to go to the fair, but I don’t know anywhere you can go to a tractor pull and get in for $7. I don’t know anywhere you can go to to a demolition derby and get in for $7.”
McMillen said the fair maintains its agricultural roots through a petting zoo, a cattle show, a junior goat show, and nightly demonstrations. McMillen said these demonstrations include crochet, quilting, sourdough bread making, flower arranging, canning, and cake decorating.
“It brings us together,” McMillen said. “We’re all a volunteer organization. We work hard. We don’t always agree with everything, but at the end of the day we we come together and provide a really good clean family-oriented show for our community to come to. And it’s just it’s just part of our community. I mean it’s our heritage. It’s what we do.”
