2009 Carter County Fair dates set: August 9 - 15

While every effort is made to set the fair dates close to the first of the month and ahead of the start of school in Carter County, every few years the dates rotate their way around and we find ourselves looking at a later timeframe. This is one of those years.

The board has also taken to heart many suggestions many of you in the community have made concerning events and activities. We, too, want the fair to be "bigger and better" with each passing year. We want to continue to improve the facility itself: more building, a stage unit, more seating. We want to book the big name entertainers you desire and hope to keep steadily improving the showbill from year to year. 

The re-invention of the Carter County Fair began in 1991. Eighteen years later, the fair board has grown the event from a 3-day activity on 7.5 acres of property to a weeklong celebration. Not only has the location changed -- the purchase in 2004 of 88 acres -- but the fair keeps looking to the future and to partnerships with other organizations to improve opportunities here in our community. 

With your support, these activities can continue to grow. The fair board sees the opportunities beyond the fair itself. When we sit down in meetings, we call that "the bigger picture." Yes, fair week is important. But it is only part of what our organization can do. We welcome your help as work on projects that foster community pride, create recreation opportunites and bring tourists to our cities.

Fair Board should dress warm, we're decorating a tree one night this week! A live one. On the same site.

Alas, we won't be cutting and transporting a tree to "Jingle Bell Square" this year. Thanks to all who helped look and scouted and begged tryiing to find a big old spruce/hemlock for the project. The good news is that the beautiful (seriously, the tree is perfectly shaped) blue spruce at the corner of JMK's lot -- and about fifty feet from where we would set the temporary tree -- is waiting for us to decorate it.

While we won't need a bucket truck, this tree is still large enough to make an impression. Ladders, decorations and ideas about how else we can "Christmas-up the place" are welcome. Wednesday's weather is supposed to be in the 50s. Thursday and Friday it dips back into the 30s. Brrrr!  I vote for Wednesday afternoon or evening. When do you want to decorate? Many hands makes for light work.

Email Jill or call 606-474-7263.  printworks@utionline.net