It’s that time again! What… triple-digit heat indices, astronomic electric bills, back to school vaccinations, and chiggers (parasitic larval stage of the harvest mite, for those of you not from the southeastern US)? Yes, all that and more! And…the Wilson County Fair (near Nashville, TN)!
Yeah, I know, county fairs– stifling heat, corny sideshows, shifty carnies, over-priced rides, and toxic food (funnel cake, corn-dog, or fried beer anyone?). And yet, a county fair at its best is one of the last bastions of the American agrarian culture. At a time when the church social potluck is more likely to render a bucket of KFC than a cast-iron skillet of homemade corn bread, it’s nice to see that there are still people that take pride in the quality of their homemade pickles. There are still kids out there raising prize goats, and there are still old timers that enjoy cleaning up the WWII vintage Chevy or thrashing machine once a year to show millenials and gen-X’ers how it was done back-in-the-day.
I’m all for the concept of planetary citizenry but there’s a lot to be said for regional authenticity. Let’s face it, we don’t go to Barcelona to eat at McDonalds. So let us sing the praises of the county fair and its ability to stamp a sense of place and history on the psyche of the local residents for a week or so each year.
Click the link below to view a few shots from past Wilson County Fairs.