For a century, people have been flocking to the Cleveland County Fair every fall to ride the Ferris wheel, eat vinegar fries and funnel cakes, play games and make a lifetime of memories.
This year, the fair will celebrate its milestone birthday with special events and attractions and is set to arrive in town Sept. 26 until Oct. 6.
Tickets can be purchased online through the Cleveland County Fair website and are $8 for adults and $4 for children and seniors. Children under the age of 5 are free.
Over the past 100 years, the fair has brought the usual attractions - from magic acts and music to tractor pulls and demolition derbies - to the more exotic. There have been ostrich races, tigers, hot air balloons, wrestling matches and live stunt performances.
The fair has been a place for not only family fun, but also the site of many first dates.
It was where Kevin Jones brought his date, Deidre, for the first time in 1979 and then again 44 years later when the couple recreated their first date.
The 2024 fair will offer:
- Daily live music by John Norris outside Dorton Hall.
Norris is a Nashville recording artist and a native of Sanford.
John recorded his debut Nashville record at Direct Image Recording Studio, with producer Kenny Royster. The tracks include: God’s Up To Somethin, Thank God She Did, This Town, Lonely Don’t Last Long, and others.
- Hot Diggity Dog animal show.
The one-of-a-kind attraction features dogs and hogs. The fast paced show runs 25 minutes and is filled with lots of laughs, audience participation and surprises.
- Electrifying Magic starring Jay Mattioli
For over 20 years, Jay Mattioli has been creating spectacular magic presentations to entertain virtually any venue. His magic has criss-crossed the globe, appearing as the host of Asia’s largest magic variety show, in the first public magic show in Kuwait, and as a Quarter Finalist on NBC’s #1 show “America’s Got Talent.”
The show features several large-scale illusions as well as high-energy, audience participation.
The circus will perform daily adjacent to gate 14. The show is made up of multiple generations of circus performers.Lyric Wallenda of the “World Famous Wallenda” family displays her aerial artistry and Simon Arestov, who is originally from Russia, will amaze audiences of all ages with his jaw dropping acrobatics and balancing.
- Ackmonster’s Chainsaw Art
Artist Brian Ackley is one of the nation’s top professional chainsaw sculptors, dedicated to promoting and preserving the integrity of the art form and its performance. At a typical show, from behind protective netting, onlookers will observe as he quickly transform a log into a true work of art.
This article originally appeared on The Shelby Star: Cleveland County Fair set to celebrate 100th birthday
Most Popular
Comments / 0