Williamson County Fair was the Best-Ever in 2017

More than 215,000 people visited the Williamson County Fair this year, according to a summary of the highlights distributed Friday.

The nine-day fair, which was blessed with favorable weather, ended on Aug. 12.

Organizers declared that it was the best fair to date in the 13 years since it was revived following several dormant decades.

“Overall, it’s the way you want to do a Fair,” Williamson County Fair Chairman Rogers Anderson said. “The Board continues to raise the bar year after year, and we should all be proud of the community effort that is required to produce such a major event. We want to extend our sincere thanks to our sponsors, vendors and nearly 2,000 volunteers who all contributed to make it the most successful Fair we’ve had.”

Anderson said the Fair strives to be clean, safe and family-friendly, and provides an important educational resource, along with a bunch of fun.

“Each year we are intentional about adding elements that celebrate the agricultural legacy of our county while incorporating modern educational tools that help people learn while playing and doing,” he said. “The 4-H & Youth Village, which presented hours worth of hands-on family activities rooted in science, technology, engineering and math, was a huge hit inside the Expo.
Features like the RoboCars that transformed from rolling vehicles to roving characters capture children’s attention and perhaps planted a seed that could result in a future mechanical engineer. It’s a joy to watch those young minds be engaged.”

This year’s theme was “Country Pride, County Wide.” A number of special honors for Williamson County military veterans were incorporated into the programming, including historical displays, a Veteran’s Wall and a surprise presentation from the Quilts of Valor to retired U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Marty Smith.

While certain elements have become favorites and will always be featured, new enhancements are key to ongoing success, Anderson said.

Proceeds continue to benefit the Williamson County Agricultural Expo campus, including new lighting, paving and a handicapped parking area added this year.

“These enhancements to the facility are another great result of the Fair that benefit our citizens and visitors through dozens of Expo events throughout the year. It’s a win-win for our county,” he said.

Planning for the 2018 fair, including choosing a theme, begins this month.

Volunteers are needed, and opportunities are available for residents to get involved with the Fair Board on a range of committees.

For more information, visit www.williamsoncountyfair.org.