New rides, attractions and performers to appear at 55th Annual Cabarrus County Fair
By Christie Barlow
The scent of cotton candy and corn dogs will be heavy along N.C. 49 when the Cabarrus County Fair opens its gates in the coming weeks.
On Friday, Sept. 7, at 4 p.m., the 55th Annual Cabarrus County Fair will open. Admission to the fair is $3 for ages 6-12, $7 for ages 12 and older and free for children 5 and younger. The fair will run through Saturday, Sept. 15, giving the 95,000 people expected to attend a look at several new additions.
The first ever Cabarrus County Fair Horse Pull kicks off opening night, at 7 p.m. in the arena. Participants are coming from as far away as Pennsylvania, Illinois and Kentucky, said Marvin Bost, who is organizing the horse pull.
“We’re getting people in our area that have never been able to experience something like this,” Bost said. “We’re glad to bring something new that’s never been in this area.”
During the horse pull, teams made up of two horses are required to pull flat sleds piled with thousands of pounds of cement blocks across 28-feet. As teams complete each pull, another 1,000 pounds of weight is added to the sled until all but one team has been eliminated. Bost said that watching the animals work is almost like watching a weight lifter.
Mary Ann Cooper, the fair director, is looking forward to the addition to the horse pull, as well as several new acts added to the long list of entertainment.
About 10 new acts and entertainers are coming to the fair. While old favorites like Robinson’s Racing & Paddling Porkers will be back performing four shows each day, Hansen’s Spectacular Circus Thrill Show comes to the fair for the first time. Hansen’s show features high wire performances and acrobatics, and is “entirely different than anything we’ve had before,” Cooper said.
Other acts getting their feet wet at the Cabarrus County Fair include Chicken Man & His World Famous Trained Chickens and Freddie Pierce and Friends. The Chicken man has his different chickens riding in remote control cars and helping him perform tricks, while Freddie Pierce gets some help from his puppets during his ventriloquist act.
“We have one of the nicest, safest most colorful shows in the business,” Cooper said. “I don’t care if you’re anywhere between three and 93 (years-old), you’ll love it.”
Several new programs specifically for children are coming to this year’s fair. Debbie Bost, the County Extension director, is planning both the Little Hands on the Farm and Germ City activities. The goal of both programs is to educate the children who attend.
Little Hands on the Farm teaches kids about where food comes from by walking them through the process from start to finish. They start off harvesting their plastic vegetables and finish by selling them at a farmers market, Debbie said.
The interactive education continues for children at the Germ City program. Before they start, kids hands are sprayed with glow juice. Then, they walk into Germ City, a room full of black lights, and the lights show them what part of their hands they need to take extra time to wash. They also receive instruction on the proper way to wash their hands and areas they need to pay extra attention to.
“It’s good wholesome fun for children, yet teaching them things like the principles involved in food production,” Debbie said. “We want them to come and have fun and do and see.”
• Contact Christie Barlow at [email protected] or 704-789-9140.