If you’ve been craving a burger at the fair, the wait can end Friday around 5 p.m.
That’s when the Lions Club food booth is scheduled to open as festivities get under way for the 60th installment of the Warren County A&L Fair.
Later Friday night, the Preteen Fairest of the Fair pageant is set to take the stage at 7 p.m. as the fair hits the ground running.
The fairgrounds were buzzing with excitement Thursday afternoon as final preparations were taking place and some carnival rides were beginning to arrive. Midway attractions are scheduled to open Monday night at 6 p.m.
At the Midway CIC food booth, James and Elva Dean Bell were on hand doing some cleaning. They will be married 53 years on Sept. 9 and say their anniversary always falls on fair week.
“Maybe I should have gone to the fair instead of the wedding,” joked James as he did a good job watching while his wife and Dorris Shrock Moore did most of the work.
Eli Cleveland didn’t waste any time digging into a bag of fresh cotton candy at the Holland’s stand. Like the fair itself, Holland’s is celebrating its 60th year.
Fairest of the Fair organizer Susan Burks is excited about this year’s field, which is loaded with 58 contestants. For a look at all the girls and boys entered in this year’s pageants, see the special section inside today’s edition.
After Friday night’s Preteen Fairest pageant, several events are set for Saturday including a dairy goat show at 9 a.m., a colt show at 10 a.m., and a saddle club fun show at noon.
For Sunday, gospel singing is scheduled for Grandstand Arena beginning at 1 p.m.
A new feature this year is an exhibit called Farmer for A Day. It’s set up in the former petting zoo location.
The exhibit is filled with information about agricultural life and all the effort that goes into producing our food supply. One sign says, “No farms, no food.”
The Highland Rim Beekeepers Association has a booth inside the exhibit and members were busy putting the final touches on it Thursday afternoon. The association serves seven counties, including Warren.
“This is a good hobby for anyone, even children,” said Fay Wilson. “It’s something men and women can do and enjoy.”
Wilson said one individual beehive can easily house 50,000 bees. Eating locally produced honey has many advantages, she said, including the ability to help allergies and small cuts.
Information is on display showing everything you need to know to start your own beehive and how to properly tend to it. There is even some information on honey recipes.
Club member Mary Bell joked that tending bees is a great way to lose money.
“There’s a story about how to get $1 million as a beekeeper,” Bell said. “The way to do it is you start with $2 million and after a few years you’re down to $1 million.”
Other information at the Farmer for A Day exhibit pertains to chickens with a sign that indicates a hen must eat about four pounds of feed to produce one dozen eggs. Another sign says farmers get about 584 hours less sleep a year than the average American.
Other booths focus on corn and wheat, beef cows, and dairy farms. Information in the dairy farm section indicates Tennessee dairy farms produced 93.1 million gallons of milk in 2011.
Over at the chicken house, superintendent Ronald Elrod was giddy about the number of entries this year. He says there will be 56 rabbits and around 700 chickens on display. The animals will be coming in throughout the weekend.
“With another rabbit show in Murfreesboro and the state fair also going on, to get 56 rabbits is good for us,” said Elrod.
He made sure to point out new artwork on the doors leading into the chicken house. He said the paintings were done by high school students.
“I love the art and I think the kids will love it too,” said Elrod.