The 69th year of the Warren County A & L Fair came to a close late Saturday night and planning for the 70th is already underway. According to Fair President Regan Kelsey this year's fair went above and beyond all those which came before.
"Everything went very well. I think the cooler weather helped bring out more folks. Last year when I talked to the newspaper after the fair I said it was the most successful fair in Warren County history and you can print that again," Kelsey said with a laugh. "We exceeded last year's numbers. Thursday and Friday were two of the biggest crowds I've ever seen here."
The biggest hiccup fair officials faced this year was a vehicle catching fire on Fairgrounds Road near the petting zoo and barn. Thanks to proper preparation and the fast action of numerous volunteers and emergency personnel, it was quickly dealt with and there were no injuries or property damage apart from the vehicle itself. "We had just bought around 30 fire extinguishers this summer and placed them strategically throughout the grounds. Hayes Fire Protection got us a really deal on them and we had them in a lot of our Gators and utility vehicles. Within seconds of the fire being reported we had 10 - 12 Fair Board members on the scene working the situation and in 30 - 45 seconds we had the road blocked and traffic diverted. Centertown Fire Department was here that night and responded promptly as well," Kelsey said.
As the fair is a gathering place for the entire community, there is no shortage of emergency personnel on hand to deal with incidents such as the vehicle fire which may occur. "Joey Clark, an executive board member, is like our own EMA director. He does a fantastic job and we have really good cooperation with North Warren Fire Department who serves us. They bring a fire truck out here and leave it all week. Ramie Roberts, their chief, hangs out here most every night and is here for any situation that occurs. That's a big help. Preston Denney, the EMS director, is great about helping us and so is Sheriff Jackie Matheny, Jr. As far as safety and security, we get great cooperation from the county. I'd also like to mention Josh Roberts and Levie Glenn. All of those guys are fantastic. This is a county fair and we couldn't do what we do without the help of the county," Kelsey said.
In its second year as the fair's carnival company, Crescent City Amusements of Slidell, La., under the leadership of Greg Brooks, ironed out some inevitable first-year wrinkles. "Greg, to his credit, figured out a lot of things last year. He brought more rides and redid the layout. When he left here last year he bought two light towers and when he got here, he rented some from MPR in Newtown, spending money with a local business. Crescent City is trending upward and I think they'll have even more rides when they come next year. We're happy with the quality and appearance. Any issue I ever have, I can call him and he takes care of it immediately," Kelsey said.
The fair was so pleased with Crescent City Amusements, it has entered into a new long-term commitment. "We signed a new five-year deal with them this year. And the full nine-day fair format will continue. I don't think we could turn back now. We've set a standard. Sunday was huge."
The fair, while embraced by Warren countians, also draws many out-of-town visitors. "We've looked through the parking lots and have seen counties from all over Middle Tennessee here. We had lots of people stop by the office just to say 'this is incredible,' and that's neat to hear. I'm on a committee that judges fairs in Middle Tennessee and I've visited several fairs all across the state and I can tell you we really have something special here. Nobody is really doing what we're doing here in Warren County," Kelsey said.
Part of what makes Warren County's fair special is its unique status as a free fair. No admission price is needed and there are no plans for that to ever change. "As long as we're getting sponsorships from local businesses and we're receiving the help from the county they've always provided and as long as we have the army of volunteers and board members we have now, I don't ever see it coming to that. And it's in our charter that we can't charge. If we ever had to, what we know now as the Warren County A & L Fair Association would have to dissolve and control of the property would return to the county. As long as I'm alive, I will fight tooth and nail to keep it free and I know there are many more that would as well," Kelsey said.
As a free fair, the driving force behind keeping it going is the selfless work of volunteers and community members, a fact Kelsey is keenly aware of. "I'd like to thank everybody - our board members and volunteers. We have people who come out here one or two days to help out and then we have people who are out here for weeks at a time. It takes every single one of them to put this all together. The fair is great because of the sum of all parts involved. We've got people like Wayne Davenport and Steve Grandey who have been on the board since the '70s and then we've got people who were added a year or two ago. They're all working together towards the same goal - to produce the best fair we can. It's for the people, by the people who love Warren County and want to showcase Warren County," Kelsey said.
In addition to volunteers and community members, Kelsey stresses the importance of the fair's sponsors in making the fair what it is and asks those who haven't come aboard to consider pitching in to help elevate the fair to new heights. "We need sponsors to continue doing what we're doing. The more sponsors we have, the more we can do, such as bringing in higher quality entertainment and doing more things administratively and with our buildings and things. We are very, very thankful for our sponsors and we appreciate the coverage from the Southern Standard," Kelsey said.
While the fair fosters a sense of fun and community, its impact doesn't stop there. The economic impact is felt throughout the county and often provides the largest source of funds for participating civic organizations who use the money raised to further help community members in a variety of ways. "Many of the food booths bring in a lot of money for the civic organizations, churches and schools that use the money to impact other people in the community. It is not just a fair but a big fundraiser for several entities. We can impact a lot of people by doing this. It's hard to say for sure but we estimate the impact is between $500,000 - $750,000 locally. Just Crescent City alone bought close to 4,000 gallons of fuel here locally while they were here," Kelsey said.
While the fair may be over, the fairgrounds won't be dormant until next September as Christmas in the Village returns for its second year on Dec. 1 and 2.
