The Georgia-Carolina State Fair survived the Great Depression, a world war and multiple recessions over its almost century of existence; however, it couldn’t compete with the pandemic in 2020.
“It was a weird year,” said Joe Taylor, longtime fair manager. “There were no fairs.”
The Georgia-Carolina State Fair will return Oct. 15 for its 98th season, but with a few COVID-19-related modifications.
Taylor said all indoor activities including the arts and crafts exhibitions, the talent competition, boxing and wrestling have been canceled this year. The Miss Georgia-Carolina State Fair pageant will be held, but it is not open to the public.
The midway, however, will be wide open with the James E. Strates Shows returning.
Taylor said the company was at the fairgrounds Thursday laying out the design for this year’s attractions.
“A lot of carnivals went out of business last year,” said Taylor. “We’ve been working with Strates for 20 years.”
The rides, games and fair food will be available, and Taylor hopes patrons are ready to enjoy the event.
For years, the fair has had a marketing tagline of “It’s Big Fun,” but this year, it was altered to “It’s Time For Big Fun Again.”
The fair will run from Oct. 15-24. Each day has a different special designed to attract fair-goers.
The Exchange Club of Augusta held its first fair in November 1923 at the corner of 15th Street and what is now Laney-Walker Boulevard only about a month after making the decision to host a fair. It opened with a parade, and more than 25,000 people attended.
In 1937, the club purchased 18 acres between Third and Fourth Streets. The site was once a baseball field. Ty Cobb played his first professional baseball game at the site and hit his first home run there, according to the history at the Georgia-Carolina State Fair website.
“This field was the perfect place for a fairground where the citizens of the area could again come for entertainment,” the website said.
It was called the Augusta Exchange Club Fair until 2001 when the name changed to reflect the fact that many of the fair’s patrons lived on the South Carolina side of the Savannah River, Taylor said.
While some things have changed in almost a century, one thing has not. The goal of the fair has been to raise money to help children in the area.
The Exchange Club of Augusta was formed in August 1923.
“The civic leaders of Augusta realized that there were needs in the community, and it was their moral obligation to give back to their community some of the benefits they had reaped,” the website said.
Taylor said about $130,000 was donated to about 30 local charities serving children this past year.
“One hundred percent of the profits after expenses go to local charities,” he said.
The gates open at 5 p.m. Oct. 15 at the Georgia-Carolina State Fair. To find out daily specials, visit the website or the Facebook page.
Charmain Z. Brackett is the Features Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach her at charmain@theaugustapress.com
