Wilbur and Charlotte may not be found in the county barn, but there will be lots of other pigs, chickens, cows, goats, sheep and so much more at the annual Jackson County Blue Ribbon Fair!
October always brings with it the scent of midway foods, laughter and lights as the fairgrounds are transformed into an amusement park and exhibits of farm animals, crops, tapestry and more. Entrance to the grounds is free, and midway tickets are $1 each. Each ride has a posted number of tickets required to ride.
Exhibit halls and amusement rides opened on Sunday, October 18 and will continue throughout the week until the following October 25. Along with midway food trailers, a family favorite at the fair are the food booths staffed by local organizations and churches serving traditional favorites of gumbo, red beans and rice, and fried fish.
This year’s fair will feature 10 food booths along with seating near the booths. They are open each day for lunch and dinner for meals to enjoy at the fair or to go. Choose from Elks Lodge, Collective Church, Lighthouse Church, Parkway Baptist, Safe Harbor UMC, Faith in the Word, Morning Star Baptist, Emmanuel Full Gospel, Solomon Temple AME, and Caswell Springs UMC.
Smack talk on social media began almost as soon as the booths opened with critics promoting their favorite fair booth gumbo. Judging the gumbo will be Supervisor Ennit Morris and Chef Josh Walczak.
This is the 104th Jackson County Blue Ribbon Fair. It began in 1921 and has occurred annually with interruptions for COVID and a hurricane. Debbie Loris Hodges serves as vice-president of the Jackson County Fair Association and says the annual event is woven into the generational fabric of Jackson County citizens.
“The Jackson County Blue Ribbon Fair is more than a tradition,” she said. “It is where generations of families come together to make memories that last a lifetime.”
Shelly Mann agrees with Ms. Hodges in the fair being a family tradition. She and her husband, Richard, are veteran vendors of the fair where they have been selling kettle corn for 30 years.
“We carry on a family tradition that was started by the Mann family in Edina, Missouri back in the early 80s,” Mrs. Mann said. “If it’s not MANN made, it’s Not the Original.”
She said each year brings repeat customers along with new friends who then become repeat customers.
“We enjoy seeing all the families coming out to create memories for a lifetime,” she added. “All the repeat customers who come to our booth are so excited to get their Mann Kettle Corn fix.”
Check out the fair’s weeklong schedule here or follow them on Facebook. With the forecast calling for high temperatures of 80 and a low dropping to 51 and a zero chance of rain, fair week and fair weather invite all to enjoy the traditions.
