Members of the Rhea County Rural Fair Association came before the County Commission to thank them for their recent support of the Rhea County Fair.
President Don Massengale addressed the commission thanking them for assisting on construction of the new concession stand. The Fair Association in March received funding from the commission for the first time in the history of the fair to complete the construction. Mr.
Massengale said that so far, all of the work that has been done has been through donations to the fair.
“Thank you to all the commissioners for your support of the Rhea County Fair. We are trying to get the fairgrounds ready for opening on Aug. 9 and invite all of you to come. We would especially like to thank County Commissioners Philip Dunn and Leo Stephens for actually coming out and providing hard work, said Mr. Massengale.
Board Secretary Brittany Fisher Dean told commissioners that the fair will be starting its 15th year.
“At 6 p.m. we will have an opening ceremony and a monument will be put up honoring the four starting members of the fair - Glen Varner, George Beaty, Jim Hall and Harold Fisher, she said
Ms. Fisher Dean said they have a pretty good line up this year for the fair.
“This year we have 35 pigs for the pig sale on Thursday the 11th. Also we will have a 4-H Poultry show and sale at 6 p.m on Tuesday. This year on Saturday there will be a Jeep Jamboree from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. These are just some of the things we have planned,” she said.
“It’s a lot of volunteer work that has to be done. We have made the fair one of the best in the state," she added.
At the 2022 January conference, which was the 100th annual convention, Rhea County placed first in Free Standing Fair Display, second in Tabletop Display, first in Creative Fair Idea (other than agriculture), second in Creative Fair Idea (agriculture) and Most Outstanding Entry for the Rhea County Fair Chicken Coop Display. These awards were chosen from the more than 50 regional and county fairs across the state of Tennessee.
This trend has continued with the fair since 2010 when they won their first award for Most Improved Fair. 2012 saw the fair obtaining the AA division runner up only to top it in 2013 by winning the 2013 AA division Champion Fair. The fair garnered the Champion of Champions for all Divisions in 2017.
In all, the Rhea County Fair has won 35 first place awards, 46 second place awards and 25 third place awards since 2008. The faier has also paid out $71,600 in prize money to the exhibitors at the local fair.