‘Legendary’ Jacktown Fair celebrating its 150th year
WIND RIDGE – When Walter “Buck” Burns joined the Jacktown Fair committee in 1980, he found the fairgrounds in “bad shape” and in need of a facelift.
Since then, Burns and the fair board worked methodically over the years – constructing new barns grandstands and lots – to transform the fairgrounds and build on the fair’s “legendary” history with new events and attractions.
“It took a lot of hard work and dedication,” Burns said. “Just people pushing things and you have to have a vision of where you want to go with it. That’s the big thing, I think. I’ve seen thinks change over the years.”
Now Burns, who spent the past 28 years as the fair’s president, is eager to celebrate the upcoming 150th Jacktown Fair in Wind Ridge and hopes this summer’s rainy weather stays away for the next few days for the longest-running continuous fair in the country.
“We’ve spent two months doing some special things at the fairground to make them look good for the people,” Burns said. “We did go the extra mile to make it nice by decorating around the fairgrounds to make it a big celebration. We have a real nice program this year.”
He admitted that he’s “scared to death about the rain” during fair week and that it has somewhat hampered the preparations of the fairgrounds in recent days. Still, workers have spent the past two months painting buildings, trimming brush and decorating the hall with flowers. A new entrance sign and electronic video board have been added, giving the fairground a fresh look with scrolling schedules.
Burns said they will also have three new food vendors this year that will sell pulled pork, homemade pizza and fried vegetables.
The Jacktown Fair Queen pageant will be held at 7 p.m. Sunday, and the winner will be crowned Tuesday night just after the parade, which kicks off the week’s festivities beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Keshia Weaver’s 5-year-old daughter, Alexis Hooper, participated in the Jacktown Fair parade the past two years as Tiny Miss Greene County. The family is from Rices Landing, but the parade made quite an impression on them, Weaver said.
“She loves it. It’s her favorite one,” Weaver said of the parade. “She was pumped to be in her own sized car last year. It’s a pretty big deal for the fair. It’s their first big event and it’s just a lot of fun and very well-organized.”
The grand marshals for this year’s parade will be the Jacktown Fair committee, including Burns, Dana Wilson, Harry Gardner Jr. and Jamie Dinsmore, to commemorate the fair’s landmark anniversary.
Burns said they’re bringing back the popular “mud bog” after a four-year hiatus. It begins at 6 p.m. Saturday to cap-off the weeklong fair.
The tuff truck contest that the fair started running three years ago will be held Wednesday night, the popular tractor and truck pull will be held on Thursday night and the final round of the Jacktown Idol singing competition is set for 8 p.m. Friday. Fireworks are scheduled for Tuesday and Friday nights.
“Everything is looking real good as long as we can get the weather,” Burns said.
The entire schedule of events and attractions can be found on the fair’s website at www.jacktownfair.org.