I have no statistical data to back this up but, in my view, we’re in the midst of one of the most successful weeks of the Warren County A & L Fair in its history. For a few years now, with the addition of more events and front-loading the fair week with pageants running from the first Friday to Tuesday, the fair has beet stretching beyond its traditional one-week period. 

Even with more events starting earlier, the fair never really felt like the fair until the rides opened, traditionally on Monday. The switch to Crescent City Amusements last year has given us a carnival with no commitments the previous week which gives us nine days of a fully-open fair. It happened last year as well but, in its first year in Warren County, Crescent didn’t quite have its full compliment of rides available immediately. This year the rides were completely ready to go the very first day and, from the crowds I witnessed throughout the first weekend, the community was ready as well. 

Pageants, the baby show, events, food and rides meant there was no easing into the fair this year. I feel safe in saying this Sunday was the busiest Sunday in the fair’s history, at least in my lifetime. Fair Board President Regan Kelsey backed up my feeling when I spoke to him Wednesday. "That was, I think, by far the largest Sunday crowd we've ever had here. A lot of that was due to good weather and the $15 ride special. That's the best deal of our nine days so people took advantage of that. The numbers from the carnival were really good," Regan said. 

In past years the first Sunday of the fair typically saw a few hours of gospel singing and a handful of food booths open. This year, Sunday saw a packed midway, a grandstand loaded for the baby show and people everywhere. Community food booth volunteers, not fully used to this opening-weekend rush, were happily reporting sellouts and had to restock before they typically get really busy on Monday. The Noon Exchange Club reported taking in over three times the amount they usually get over the opening weekend at their parking lot. The effect was felt by vendors and clubs across the fair and it’s a beneficial one for our community.

When you spend money at the fair, there's a good chance you're supporting local nonprofit organizations and local people. The fair is powered by volunteers working and sweating to help their local groups and the community as a whole. 

Local business owners thinking of taking to social media to express disappointment in the fair might want to consider that. Everyone is entitled to whatever opinion they want to express, but businesspeople counting on community members to shop local should perhaps refrain from going out of their way to publicly disparage something so many local people love and sacrifice so much personally to make great. 

There's another column written. It's time to go back to the fair for more corn dogs. I'm up to 16 for the week so far.

Standard Managing Editor Seth Wright can be reached at (931) 473-2191