Planning is continuing for this year’s Worcester County Fair with county commissioners recently approving a request to allow breweries to serve alcohol at the event, which is set for three weekends in August and September.
Attendees of a past Worcester County Fair are pictured playing a game.
File photo
By Bethany Hooper, Associate Editor
Planning is continuing for this year’s Worcester County Fair with county commissioners recently approving a request to allow breweries to serve alcohol at the event.
The Commissioners last month voted 6-0, with Commissioner Eric Fiori abstaining, to approve a request from Recreation and Parks Director Kelly Rados to have alcohol sales at John Walter Smith Park during the Worcester County Fair. Rados said her department is looking to include breweries in the annual event.
“We’ve finalized most of our vendors, locked in the food vendors, but now we’re working on incorporating some local breweries,” she told the commissioners on July 2. “We would like to offer alcohol on Friday and Saturday of the times of the fair. So we just need commissioners’ approval to allow alcohol at John Walter Smith on the dates of August 9 and 10 of the fair.”
Earlier this year it was announced that Worcester County Recreation and Parks would take charge of hosting the 2024 Worcester County Fair, ending a years-long run at Byrd Park in Snow Hill. This year’s event will take place Aug. 9-11 at John Walter Smith Park.
In a memo sent to the county commissioners last week, Rados provided officials with an update on planning of the revamped county fair. She noted that the event would kick off on Friday with a ribbon cutting ceremony at 4:30 p.m. and a performance by Jimmy Charles from 6-8 p.m.
“To date have 36 vendors registered with 40 or more expected once everything is finalized,” she wrote. “We are working with 10- 12 food vendors to get them approved for the Fair and are currently working on the alcohol vendors. All alcohol vendors will meet all State regulations and will therefore not need county permitting, as long as Commissioners would approve alcohol at John Walter Smith Park during the Worcester County Fair dates.”
In addition to alcohol sales on Friday and Saturday, other offerings include live entertainment, inflatables, carnival games and a catch-and-release fish tank. Displays and demonstrations from 4-H will be held inside the recreation center, while a livestock tent will feature different shows and demos.
“Other attractions include a Car Show, Jeep Show, Cornhole Tournament, Pipeline eating contest, Drone demonstration and a Petting Zoo,” Rados wrote.
The Worcester County Fair will cap off Agricultural Week, to be held Aug. 3-11. The week will include various offerings form local event managers, towns, farms and agricultural businesses in Worcester County.
For more information on the fair, visit Worcester County Fair or the Worcester County Fair Facebook page.
“It’s just wonderful, and I know it’s been a long time coming,” Fiori told staff last week. “And I just want to thank you guys for all your hard work.”