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ABOUT COLUMBUS
COUNTY FAIR
Calvin Duncan, Jimmy Ferguson, Harold Lee, John Paul Lennon
and Stuart Sasser, all helped launch the fair in 1980, and
have continued to be active in fair activities. Ferguson, Lee,
and Lennon were members of the original Fair Board, along with
the late Alfred Hayes and Stuart Sasser. Duncan was manager of
the fair the first year, a job he had held for several years
and holds today, along with serving as Fair Board president.
It was Harold Lee, then a state trooper assigned to Columbus
County, now retired, who had the idea for the fair in 1979.
The Columbus County Law Enforcement Officers Association was a
fairly new organization looking for a worthwhile project, and
Lee suggested a county fair. Members of the association
thought Lee had a good idea. It had been 50 years since the
last Columbus County Fair and they wanted to pursue the idea,
but had no property.
Stuart Sasser was chief deputy under Sheriff Clayton Norton. A
former Department of Corrections officer, he recalled that
there was a lot of land near the prison and Department of
Transportation that wasn't being used. He suggested that the
group seek advice from Gov. Jim Hunt about deeding the
property to the County Fair.
There was a lot of red tape, but the deed was signed and
sealed early in 1980. The community was excited---the county
fair was about to become a reality. There were pine trees
growing on the land bigger around than any of the officers,
and there were those who doubted that the fair would be
birthed in 1980. But the officers proved them wrong, and the
first county fair held in Columbus County in half a century
opened that fall. All entertainment, livestock and exhibits
were under festive tents that have been replaced with
permanent buildings as time and funds permitted.
Ferguson, a former Columbus County Sheriff, was an inspector
with the Department of Motor Vehicles. Lennon, who now works
in security with BB&T, was a deputy sheriff. Duncan, then a
Department of Corrections Officer, and later Assistant
Superintendent of the prison unit, has now retired.
All of the five have played a major role in the success of the
Columbus County Agricultural Fair. The Law Enforcement
Officers Association decided early on that the fair would be a
family event with wholesome entertainment for all ages, and
adopted "It's a Family-A-Fair" as its motto. The association
has maintained that standard for the fair through the years,
and the business community and residents have expressed
support and appreciation in every conceivable way.
The 2008 Columbus County Fair will be the 29th annual. From
food to rides, concerts to exhibits, and more, the fair is a
full day's worth of fun and excitement. Come check it out for
yourself, October 6th - 11th 2008, because where else can you
pet animals, see exhibits, ride rides, play games, and see
concerts all in one day? The Columbus County Fair is held at
the Columbus County Fair Grounds near Whiteville, NC.
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