Onward to 89: 88th Coastal Plains Agricultural Fair a big success
Published 7:49 pm Tuesday, November 12, 2024
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.
