The White County Fair will continue a 171-year tradition of agriculture and community when its annual festivities begin Friday night.
White County Fair Board President Mike Wilson said the fair dates back to 1855. Wilson said its earliest purpose was likely to give residents a place to showcase agricultural products, quilting and other locally produced items.
“Well, I still think it’s a great community event,” Wilson said. “Everybody comes together and it’s kind of a running joke to where, you know, say if you want to see somebody, go to go to the fair. You’ll end up seeing them there if you haven’t seen them in years.”
Wilson said the fair remains a place where residents can reconnect with people they may not have seen in years. The event has also grown to include entertainment and motorsports while remaining close to home for White County families.
The fair’s agricultural exhibits remain among the traditions that can be traced back to its earliest years.
“We’re still an agricultural fair,” Wilson said. “And we have all of those exhibits and things that we have during the fair. People bring in their quilting, their ag(ricultural) products, whether, whether they’re grown there, whether it’s canning, those sorts of things.”
Wilson said preserving those exhibits allows the fair to remain connected to its original purpose despite the addition of new attractions.
“And so, I think that tradition is something that really carries on just year after year, that just thankfully hasn’t gone away,” Wilson said. “And I think that’s very important that we continue our agricultural roots and stay true to that.”
Wilson has been involved with the fair since 2007. He said the White County Heritage Museum also maintains a display about the fair’s history.
The fair’s local nature allows residents to enter exhibits, participate in events and spend time with friends and family without traveling outside the area.
“I just really think this keeps it a closer, tight-knit community,” Wilson said. “So everybody still knows everybody and is just glad to see each one, each other.”
