Fair to kick off this week
By Steve Herring
Published in News on September 25, 2016 1:45 AM
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Sue Mervin and her granddaughter Rylee Thornton, 10, turn in the last of their submissions Saturday at the Wayne Regional Agricultural Fairgrounds.
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
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News-Argus/SETH COMBS
Fair Queen contestants, from left, are, Brianna Bass, Maddison Schillinger, Antonette Walker, Rebecca Rodriguez, Isabelle Richards, Jade Jordan and Bailey Stamper.
DUDLEY -- A new 108-foot tall gondola Ferris wheel will tower over the 68th annual Wayne Regional Agricultural Fair that opens its 10-day run Thursday afternoon.
But for those not interested in a bird's-eye view of the fair, there will plenty other rides, activities, entertain and of course food.
The skeleton of the ride and several others have been taking shape over the past week at the fairgrounds on U.S. 117 South near U.S. 13 in advance of the opening. It will run from Sept. 29 through Oct. 8.
"It takes a little over a week to set it up so they started around the first of the week," fair Manager Eddie Pitzer said Friday morning. "It will be here at the Wayne Regional Fair. It will be leaving here and going to the State Fair. But they are the only two sites in North Carolina where it will be set up.
"By far it is the biggest one that we have ever had. That is a new ride that he just brought in this year. He just got it this year. It is going to be a nice ride. They have an LED light show that will be on it. When you are at 108 (feet), it is a nice view. But it is going to be seen from a long distance, too."
The wheel moves at a slow pace, and is one of 48 rides on the midway provided by Powers Great American Midways, he said.
"That is the main new ride," Pitzer said. "Corky Powers tries to bring rides that suit all ages -- a good variety of kiddie rides for small kids as well as the spectacular rides that he will have here. He has nice, well-maintained equipment."
However, things really got started Saturday afternoon as the gates were opened for early-bird registration for exhibitors.
A lot of people work and are unable to bring in their items for exhibit on the Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning before the fair starts, Pitzer said.
The gates will open at 4 p.m. weekdays, except for Tuesday, Oct. 4, when gates will open at noon for Senior Citizen Day. There will be free admission for anyone 60 or older.
The fairgrounds will be open from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 30, for special populations. It will not be open to the general public during that time.
Gates will open at 11 a.m. on Saturdays and 1 p.m. on Sunday.
General admission will be $7 for ages 13 and older and $4 anyone under the age of 13.
School tickets will be good for free admission between 4 and 6 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 3 and 4.
There is a $3 ride coupon on the back of the school tickets.
Carnival wristbands and individual ride tickets will be available for the Powers Great American Midways carnival.
Wristbands are valid for one day only, opening to closing. Admission to the fair is additional.
The wristbands will be $25 Monday through Friday, Oct. 3 to Oct. 7 and $30 on Saturday, Oct. 1 and 8, and Sunday, Oct. 2.
It costs $5 for four individual tickets or $20 for a sheet of 22 individual tickets. Rides require three or more individual tickets.
A wristband entitles the wearer to ride any mechanical ride, excluding Speed which requires a wristband plus three tickets.
A new program this year allows fairgoers to save money on both admission and rides by purchasing advance tickets at a discount at Walgreens -- up to a $5 discount on carnival wristbands and $2 on admission.
Tickets may also be purchased online at Etix and at the gate.
"We should have a good variety of entertainment," Pitzer said.
The Queen of the Fair pageant at 8 p.m. Friday night is among the first of the many free entertainment events. It will be held in the entertainment arena.
One change this year is that instead of bull riding, the fair will feature the Motorcycle Madness Stunt Show.
It will be held at 6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 2, at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 3 and Tuesday, Oct. 4, at the grandstand.
The demolition derby will be held at 1:30 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 8.
Also new this year is the K-9s in Flight at the center stage. The stars are rescued dogs.
The popular youth livestock shows make a return this year after being rained out last year. All of the shows will be held at the livestock shelter near the grandstand.
"Our livestock numbers look good," Pitzer said.
The schedule is:
* Open Junior Market Hog Show, 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 29.
* Open Junior Meat Goat Show, 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 30.
* Open Junior Market Lamb Show, noon, Saturday, Oct. 1.
* Beef Heifer Show, 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 2.
* Livestock Skillathon, 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 4.
* Open Pony and Mule Show, 5 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 6, followed by the Open Horse Show at 5:30 p.m.
Heavy rains last year forced the fair to close for four days.
"You know you really can't do anything about the weather," Pitzer said. "But yeah, to be honest, I have looked at the long-range forecast, and I am glad to see that those storms coming off the coast of Africa look like they are kind of going out to sea as opposed to coming in.
"But you know there is one that is always certain and that is the uncertainty of the weather. You just carry on. You plan for a good show and hope for the best. But the seven-day forecast looks good."
Fair-goers can expect to see some changes at the fairgrounds including more parking.
"We have added that command post (near the entrance to the grandstand for sheriff's deputies and rescue personnel) to give a central place if you need first-aid, or you need some attention that will be one central place that people can go to to find help," he said.
"Then we have done some changes as far as the parking layout, hopefully making that a little smoother. We have done some changes in the exhibit hall and some in our commercial building."
This year there will be center aisles allowing fair-goers to cut across instead of having to circle the entire floor space.
The new layout will provide easier access for the vendor booths set up in the commercial building, Pitzer said.
The building also will have the 4-H interactive activities for children.
New activities this year are the duck race and sound board.
The duck race, think little, yellow, plastic duckies, will be held in the Youth Barn.
The three-lane course is made out of piping. Attached at one end is an old-fashioned, hand-powered pitcher pump.
A plastic duck is placed in the pipe and the children work the pump to send water, and the duck, racing around the course.
The sound board is appropriately named.
It is made of boards put together like a section of fence with different pots and pans attached to it.
Children will be able to use large wooden spoons to bang out their tunes.
"We have been working with the sheriff's office trying to make sure we have got everything on board to have a good safe secure fairground for people to come out," Pitzer said. "A lot of plans are in place to make sure everything operates smoothly.
"I have people who are coming to park cars this year."
It is amazing the closer it gets time for the fair to realize the number of people it takes to put it together, Pitzer said.
The groups, mostly churches and fire departments, that have permanent food concessions have been busy working on the buildings, he said.
"That is a valuable part of the fair when you think about the food court area -- the involvement from the community and being a part of it," Pitzer said. "Then when people come and enter things into the fair, the exhibits. It is always interesting to see the quality of the exhibits that come in.
"A lot of thing you do in preparation, but you can't put it up until the week before the fair. So this last week will be a busy week for us."
The fair is owned and operated by the nonprofit Wayne County Livestock Development Association.
For more information and a schedule, visit www.waynefair.com.