April 20, 2024
By: Dwayne Page
Step right up and get your season gate admission passes to the fair!
The DeKalb County Fair Board of Directors has announced that a limited number of $30 season passes are now on sale for gate admission to the 2024 Grandpa Fair of the South to be held Monday-Saturday, June 24-29 . Each season pass includes six admission tickets that fairgoers can use any day during the week whether it be (for example) one admission ticket per night, two tickets for three nights, or all six tickets in one night. With general admission to the fair this year at $7.00 per ticket (except for children ages four and younger who will be admitted free) the purchase of a $30 pass is a savings of $12 for the week if you plan to attend each night of the fair.
Season passes to the 2024 DeKalb County Fair can be purchased at the offices of the Smithville Review, UT/TSU Extension at the county complex or from the following members of the DeKalb County Fair Board of Directors
Matt Boss – President
Judy Sandlin – Vice President
Jada Moss – Secretary
Pat Parkerson – Treasurer
Jeff McMillen – Fair Manager
Angie Meadows
Ron Paschal
JoDee Prichard
Johnny Barnes
Bobby Lee Hale
Caleb Taylor
The DeKalb County Fair, a non-profit organization, normally held in July, has been scheduled earlier this year featuring a new carnival James Gang Amusements based in Andalusia, Alabama.
Ride Arm Band Prices for the week of June 24-29 will be Monday-$20, Tuesday- $18, Wednesday -$20, Thursday-$18, Friday- $20, and Saturday- $20.
Although the fair won’t officially begin with all the shows and events until Monday, June 24, fairgoers can get a jump start on the fun in a pre-fair warm-up on Friday through Sunday, June 21-23 as the fairgrounds will be open (Friday & Saturday from 6 p.m. until 11 p.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m.) with free gate admission to anyone who wants to purchase a ticket or armband for carnival rides and games on the midway by James Gang Amusements. Armband prices for those three days only, June 21-23 will be $20 each day. Food vendors will be on site.
Since 1856, the DeKalb County Fair has been offering entertainment, Midway rides, food, exhibits, pageants, livestock shows and other action-packed events. Now in its 168th year, the Grandpa Fair of the South continues to live up to its 2024 theme of “Celebrating What Makes a Community Great.”
New fair events during the week this year include a Bump N Run Derby, Monster Truck Show, and Rodeo along with other old favorites, a demolition derby and motorcycle and ATV racing, among others. Lions Club Pavilion entertainment will feature David Turner and Friends, Center Hill Ramblers, Zone Status Band, Relentless Youth, Harvest Moon, and Square Dancing by Smithville Select, Caney Fork Circle Eight, DeKalb Dancing Delights and Center Hill Hoedown Square Dancers, among others.
The schedule of Fair events each night is as follows:
Monday, June 24:
Cattle Show-Ag Center- 6:00 p.m.
Junk Car/Bump N Run- TC McMillen Arena – 7:00 p.m.
Jr. Fair Princess (13-16)- Lions Pavilion – 6:00 p.m.
Fairest of the Fair (17-20)- Lions Pavilion – following
Miss Fair Queen (21-54)- Lions Pavilion – following
Lip Sync Battle (Round 1)- Lions Pavilion – following
Open Poultry Show (All Week)- Barn
Cash Drawing-Lions Pavilion – 9:30 p.m.
Tuesday, June 25:
Little Mister & Miss (4-6)-Lions Pavilion – 6:00 p.m.
Mrs. Fair Queen (up to 54)- Lions Pavilion – following
Miss Senior Fair Queen (55 & up)- Lions Pavilion – following
Corn Hole Tournament- Ag Center – 7:00 p.m.
ATV/Motorcycle Racing- TC McMillen Arena 7:00 p.m.
Relentless Youth-Lions Pavilion– 8:00 pm.
Open Poultry Show (All Week)- Barn
Cash Drawing- Lions Pavilion – 9:30 p.m
Wednesday, June 26:
Lamb Grilling– 6:00 p.m.- Ag Center
Little Miss Princess (7-9)- Lions Pavilion – 6:00 p.m.
Miss Sweetheart (10-12)- Lions Pavilion – following
Kiddie Tractor Pull- Ag Center – 7:00 p.m.
ATV/Motorcycle Racing-TC McMillen Arena– 7:00 pm
David Turner and Friends-Lions Pavilion – 8:00 pm
Cash Drawing-Lions Pavilion – 9:30 p.m.
Open Poultry Show (All Week)- Barn
Thursday, June 27:
Senior Day & Century Farms- Ag Center – 9:00 a.m.
Junior Goat Show-Ag Center – 6:00 p.m.
Baby Show (up to 12 months)- Lions Pavilion – 6:00 p.m.
Zone Status Band- Lions Pavilion – 7:00 p.m.
Monster Truck Rides followed by Monster Truck Exhibition Show- TC McMillen Arena – 6:00 pm
Cash Drawing- Lions Pavilion – 9:30 p.m.
Open Poultry Show (All Week)- Barn
Friday, June 28:
Toddler Show (13-48 months) -Lions Pavilion – 6:00 p.m.
Farmer for a Day-Ag Center – 6:00 p.m.
Lip Sync Battle (Finale)-Lions Pavilion – following Toddler Show
Rodeo-TC McMillen Arena – 7:00 p.m.
Center Hill Ramblers- Lions Club Pavilion- 7:45 p.m.
DTC Games (Ages 3-12)-Ag Center –7:00 p.m.
Cash Drawing-Lions Pavilion – 9:30 p.m.
Open Poultry Show (All Week)- Barn
Saturday, June 29:
Square Dancing (Smithville Select, Caney Fork Circle Eight, DeKalb Dancing Delights, and Center Hill Hoedown Square Dancers – Lions Club Pavilion-6:00 p.m.
Harvest Moon –Lions Club Pavilion- 7:00 pm
Pet Show- Ag Center – 6:00 p.m.
Demolition Derby- TC McMillen Arena – 7:00 p.m.
Cash Drawing- Lions Pavilion – 9:30 p.m.
Homemade Ice Cream Contest -Ag Center-6:00 p.m.
Gates and Midway open at 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday. The exhibit building is open from 5:00 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and Saturday from 4:00 p.m. until 9:30 p.m.
Perishable exhibit items ONLY will be accepted Saturday, June 22 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. while non-perishables may be brought Saturday, June 15 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. to the Kenneth Sandlin Center on the fairgrounds.
Parking at the fair is again free this year. Students in a DeKalb Middle School organization assist in directing the parking and that club is given a donation by the fair for their help.
Visit the DeKalb County Fair website at the link below for further information at www.dekalbcountyfairtn.com/
Fair sponsors listed in link below:
https://www.dekalbcountyfairtn.com/sponsors
2024 DeKalb County Fair – Radio Sponsors
DTC Communications
Middle Tennessee Electric
Wal-Mart
Liberty State Bank
Rogers Group
Wilson Bank & Trust
Mike Eaton – Blackwell Realty And Auction
Wilson County Motors
Heavenly Landscape & Tree Service
Three Forks Market
Farm Credit Mid-America
DeKalb Farmers Co-op
A Degree Above Heating & Cooling
Adams Dental, PLLC – Drs John & Laura Adams
Alexandria Family Care
B&G Supply
Blake Taylor Heating, Air & Electrical
Creative Graphics
Cumberland Supply
DeKalb Animal Clinic
DeKalb County Farm Bureau
DeKalb Funeral Chapel
FirstBank
Galaxy Ford in Smithville
Gina Denman – The Real Estate Team
Hawk Specialty Services
Industrial Machine Service, Inc
Junk & Jewels On The Square
Love Cantrell Funeral Home
Luke Prichard Excavating & Trucking
NHC Healthcare
Powell & Meadows
Regions Bank
Sam’s Pressure Washing & Soft Wash
Sissy Prichard Fish & Betsy Smith – Town N Lake
Slager Performance LLC, Excavation, Demoilition & Land Clearing
Southern Landscape
Stain & Seal Experts
State Representative Michael Hale
Sunbelt Rentals
Tennessee Credit
The Barn at Rowland Hills
The One Call Auction
Twin K Construction
W T Welding – Tyler Cripps
WJLE
DeKalb County Fair – Fair Sponsors
C & S Farms
Caney Fork Electric Cooperative
City Smithville AND Smithville Golf Course & Swimming Pool
DeKalb County Florist
DeKalb County Soil & Water Conservation District
DeKalb Prevention Coalition
DJs Pizza & Steakhouse of Alexandria
Gill Automotive
Grant Cedar Mill
Hosanna Farm
MARQLABS
Middle Tennessee Natural Gas
Smithville Food Lion
Swallows Insurance
The Smithville Review
DeKalb County Fair – Pavilion Sponsors
A.Vester Parsley, Attorney
Alexandria Auto Parts
Avant Funeral Home
Brown Hauling & Excavating
C&C Market and Deli
Campbell’s Garage
Cantrell’s Furniture & Appliance
Curtis Supply
David W. Lawrence, Attorney
DeKalb Ace Hardware
DeKalb County Insurance, Inc.
DeKalb County Stockyard
DeKalb Dental Center
DeKalb Elected Officials
DeKalb Title, LLC
DTC Security
F Z Webb & Sons Pharmacy
Foutch Eyecare
Gammon & Drueck CPAs
Greg Dugdale Properties
Griffin’s Produce
Keith Blair, Attorney
Lebanon Chemical Inc/The Pool’s Edge
Mid-State Precision, Inc.
Rochelle, McCulloch & Aulds
Savvy Scrubs and More / P.T.S.
Smith Farmers Co-op
Tramel CPA Group
Twisted Sifter Sweets
Webb House Retirement Center
DeKalb County Fair – Business Card Sponsors
Betty Lattimore – The Real Estate Team