Andrews – The Cherokee County Fair was canceled in 2017 after organizers decided the event was not going to come together as they hoped it would.
Although officials initially intended to bring back the event in 2018, those plans never materialized and the fair has not been seen since 2016. Now, six years after it was last held, the event is returning with a new date and location.
Dan Eichenbaum, chairman of the Board of Commissioners, announced Feb. 21 that organizers plan to resurrect the fair Saturday, Sept. 17, at Andrews Recreation Park off Main Street. Eichenbaum also read a statement from Doug Clement, vice president of the 501(c)3 nonprofit Friends of the Cherokee County Fair, who was unable to attend the meeting.
“The county fair should be seen as a celebration of the heritage of our county that brings everyone together each year,” Clement said. “Folks also socialize, learn and enjoy good local food and entertainment. It is events like these that many rural families plan their schedules around each year.”
After being absent from Cherokee County for decades, the fair was held in 2015 and 2016 at Mountain Folk Center off U.S. 64 West in Ranger. That venue was even renamed the Cherokee County Fairgrounds in 2017, but it never hosted the event under its new moniker.
Eichenbaum said it makes more sense to hold the event in Andrews, where organizers hope to draw a bigger crowd from areas such as Bryson City, Nantahala and Robbinsville. Likewise, the event is being moved up from October to September to avoid competing against bigger autumn events across the area, such as the Punkin Chunkin, Sorghum Festival and John C. Campbell Folk School’s Fall Festival.
Andrews Mayor James Reid said he hopes to make the fair a two-day event spanning Sept. 16-17 or Sept. 17-18.
“I just appreciate ya’ll looking toward Andrews a little bit,” Reid told commissioners at the meeting. “It just seems like we haven’t had representation in the past. I’m just very grateful about the park and other things that have came to town, and love to see this fair going on in Andrews.”
Commissioner Gary “Hippie” Westmoreland was among those who met with Reid when discussing the plans for the 2022 fair. He believes Andrews Recreation Park provides an ideal venue.
“We suggested to the mayor that he do it on the pool side because they’ve got a stage, they’ve got restrooms and they’ve got a huge field right there ... it lays good for entertainment, it’ll do it all,” Westmoreland said. “It’s the best place in the county to do it.”
The 2016 festival reportedly cost $33,871.59 to put on and had 2,477 adult attendees, coming out $21,428 ahead. Revenues included $43,875 in sponsorships and donations, along with $10,397.55 in gate receipts and $1,028 in vendor fees, for a total of $55,300.55.
So far, the 2022 Cherokee County Fair has $25,000 in funding, including $10,000 from Friends of the Cherokee County Fair, $10,000 from the Town of Andrews and $5,000 approved by the board of commissioners. Commissioners also agreed to request up to $10,000 from the Cherokee County Tourism Development Authority and discussed revisiting the issue later in the year to potentially increase the county’s funding total.
Reid said he considers 2022 a kind of rebuilding year for the fair.
“Usually, you have to schedule the rides and stuff a year in advance,” he said. “We’re trying to get some rides and stuff scheduled and trying to get as many people as we can, but knowing Andrews we’re going to knock it out of the park. We’ll get the right people in place ... and, of course, we’re going to have to rely on a lot of help from people who’ve put this together in the past.”
Commissioner Randy Phillips pointed out that Andrews also offers 32-acre Heritage Park, which could accommodate the event if it expands in the future. While the fair will be located in Andrews, organizers expect the Town of Murphy to have a role in the event as well.
“If this is going to be a true county fair, we need to involve the Town of Murphy as well as the Town of Andrews, even if it’s located up in Andrews,” Commissioner Jan Griggs said.