Charles City preps for centennial celebration of county fair

A centennial celebration will be hitting Charles City in September courtesy of the Charles City County Fair.

With that 100-year mark on the horizon, citizens will have an old-fashioned feel of enjoying the event at a new venue; Charles City High School.

Virginia Cooperative Extension and county fair committee member John Allison highlighted the plans and fair activities during the July 26 meeting of Charles City’s Board of Supervisors. The representative had plenty to say about his expectations for the event.

“We are going to do things bigger and better,” Allison said. “We are going to need more space for what we have planned.”

That space not only includes relocating the event to the school complex, but also reverting back to a three-day affair. Scheduled to begin on Sept. 9 and conclude Sept. 11, it has been more than a decade since the event took place over that length of time. But Allison said plans have been preset on what activities will take place during those days.

“We are looking at a family game night on Friday [inside the physical education room] at Charles City Elementary School,” the representative commented. “On Saturday, we plan to have our normal contingency of events and on Sunday after the church services let out, we are planning a gospel concert in the auditorium.”

Layout drawings provided show that parking lots in front of the elementary school and the athletic fields will be utilized for the fair. Rides and games are slated to take place in the outfield of the baseball area, while a stage and tent for local acts will be set up alongside the shot and discus zones. Vendors will be aligned near the rides while vehicles will be parked alongside the school’s access road for the county’s local car show.

Allison said the farm exhibits will be set up in the canopy area of the high school around the cafeteria. Guests will also have access to golf cart transportation to travel to the grounds.

“The fair committee has big plans due to the size of this event,” he added. “We have seen an increase of people volunteering for our committee to make this event possible.”

Vendors and donations are still being accepted for the event. For more information about the event or to become a vendor, contact Katrina Bradby at 652-4743.