Onward to 89: 88th Coastal Plains Agricultural Fair a big success
Published 7:49 pm Tuesday, November 12, 2024
A group of riders roar past along the fair's dragon coaster ride.
The Frisbee pendulum ride Carnage was popular among guests of the fair, not only swinging its riders up into the air, even in a full loop, but spinning their seats around for a truly dizzying experience.
A family debates trying out one of the carnival games at the fair, taking a throw at a stack of bottles for a chance at a prize.
Attendees of the fair stand in line at Debbie's Dairy Bar, hoping to get a sweet treat to top off their time at the event.
With an excited look on his face, a young boy zips down the Super Slide attraction.
Local food truck and caterer Fred's Food Truck was among the many food vendors taking part in the fair, serving patrons cooked-to-order burgers, wings, and more.
Just before stepping out into the fairgrounds, patrons were greeted with a booth advertising the upcoming Gnat Drop event, set to take place on New Year's Eve.
Ever a supporter of the local Toys for Tots program, the American Legion made sure to dedicate a spot in the fair's opening procession to promoting the toy drive.
A few younger attendees of the fair navigate the space-themed Galactic Assault, a fun house taking them to the vast reaches of the stars.
Lit up in a flash of changing colors, the Sea Ray was among the attractions visible on the fair's skyline, drawing interested patrons in to take a swing on the classic pirate ship ride.
Riders of the attraction Scat were placed into one of two cars that rotated rapidly both on their own axis and around each other, creating a ride that was sure to leave them spinning even after it was over.
This classic swing ride was a popular pick among patrons of the fair, lit up in a dazzling array and giving people a great look of the scenery due to its location at the edge of the fair closest to the road.
TIFTON — Another year of the Coastal Plains Agricultural Fair has come and gone, but it seems everyone from organizers to attendees have once again left the event with a smile on their faces.
With more rides, refreshments, and attractions on display than the annual event had supplied in years, organizers were excited to provide residents with the biggest and most entertaining fair in over a decade.
While this year’s run lacked the iconic Ferris wheel and Sky Diver due to the two being damaged in the recent Hurricane Helene, attractions like the Frisbee pendulum Carnage and the pirate ship ride Sea Ray filled the void and kept guests entertained and excited — as did the many other rides patrons could partake in.
Several other attractions dotted the fairgrounds in between the outer ring of rides, including a motley of classic carnival games for a chance of winning a prize or two, a handful of punching bag arcade machines for patrons to test their strength, and a “Just Jump” challenge testing guests on their courage to leap onto a stunt airbag from a series of progressively increasing heights.
Food vendors clustered near the entrance to the fair, inviting patrons to grab a bite to eat from traditional fair food vendors and local food trucks on the way in, out, or in between the festivities.
American Legion Post 21, which organized the festival, reported an uptick of attendance of 18.3% over last year, and expressed immense satisfaction with the turnout of the fair.
“On behalf of the American Legion Post 21, we appreciate the support of the community,” said Dale Gay, a member of the Legion. “Without that support, we wouldn’t have the money to put back into and support the community.”
While many plans for next year’s Coastal Plains Agricultural Fair are still up in the air, organizers expressed an interest in doubling the fair’s runtime to two weeks so as to give the community more time to be able to enjoy or make it out to the event.
