Two weeks from today the Robeson Regional Agricultural Fair will open for 10 big days of fun and excitement. This will be the 60th Anniversary of the county fair.

In celebration of 60 years of excellence, the Board of Directors of the fair, along with hundreds of volunteers and sponsors, are planning what appears to be one of the best county fairs ever held in Robeson County. If they can pull it off, this will be quite an accomplishment, considering that this fair has been judged to be the very best county fair in the state of North Carolina on seven different occasions in past years. It will be hard to top the past fairs, but I encourage you to attend the fair this year to judge for yourself. If you like what you see, tell all your friends. If you don't like what you see, be sure to find one of the fair board members on the fairgrounds and tell them. They will all be wearing purple shirts.

I remember when growing up in rural Wayne County, one of the most exciting times of the year for me was when the county fair came to town. I saved the money I earned from handling tobacco and picking cotton, so I could ride all the carnival rides, play some of the games, and eat some of those special fair foods that I could enjoy only one time during the year.

I developed a special interest in the county fair from also participating in many of the things that happened on the fairgrounds. I remember showing my hogs in the swine show and many of the crops we grew on our farm in the crops exhibits. I especially remember my prize boar hog winning the Grand Champion blue ribbon, which was a surprise to me because instead of standing still and looking good for the judges, all he wanted to do was fight with all the other boar hogs in the show ring.

For our upcoming county fair, there are two issues I would like to share with you. Both of them concern your money.

The Robeson Regional Agricultural Fair is the largest, most extensive entertainment event held in this entire region. It is very expensive to maintain the fairgrounds throughout the year and to provide the security, restrooms facilities, prize money for exhibits and contests, and the large number and quality of carnival rides that everyone enjoys. The only way these costs can be covered is with gate admission and the support from the sponsors who participate in the fair.

Gate admission remains at only $5, which is the same price it has been for the past 10 years. This is less than the price of a movie. However, in celebration of the 60th Anniversary of the fair, there are many specials being offered that provide either free or greatly discounted admission to the fair. But you can't wait until you get to the fairgrounds to look for bargains, you must think ahead.

Advance tickets are now being sold throughout the region. This advance ticket package should be especially attractive for parents who want to allow their children to go to the fair but have a limited budget. For only $18 each, these tickets provide admission, unlimited carnival rides for the entire day, and bunches of free or discounted food coupons. I urge you to purchase your advance tickets now.

Go to your nearest convenience store and pick up one of the free admission tickets that are good for the first two days of the fair. Go to church on Sunday and then take your church bulletin to the fairgrounds before 3:00 for free admission. If you have school-age children, they will receive free admission tickets with discounted ride tickets that will be good for Tuesday and

Wednesday. Look for discount admission tickets being mailed by some of our sponsors. Last year, there were some complaints about the price of food on the fairgrounds. Many people attend county fairs just to enjoy the variety of special foods that are offered. The fair coordinator for food vendors makes a special effort to make sure there will be a good variety of foods available, that the vendors have the appropriate cooking equipment, and that prices are within line of what is charged in other locations. Although the fair cannot establish the prices that are charged, this year it is requiring all food vendors post their prices so they are easily seen.

Before you purchase food items, check the prices. If you don't see a price listed for what you want, ask the price before you order. But please remember, if you want a simple hot dog and small drink for just a couple of dollars, that is what you should order. Don't expect to get one of the large specialty items, with specially prepared fries, and a huge soft drink for just a couple of dollars. These are specialty items, and they will cost more. But you can enjoy them only once a year and only at the county fair.

The Robeson Regional Agricultural Fair will be here in two weeks. We hope to see you there, and we will do our best to show you a great time.

E-mail address: Everett_Davis@ncsu.edu

Mailing Address:
P. O. Box 2280
Lumberton, NC 28359-2280

Phone: 910-671-3276
Fax: 910-671-6278

Date Created 10/05/06