Welcome to the Annual Okefenokee Agricultural Fair!

OPEN LETTER TO THE PATRONS

On behalf of the members of the Exchange Club of Waycross and the Okefenokee Fair Association, I would like to welcome you to this year's edition of the Okefenokee Agricultural Fair.  As always, we will be working hard to make sure you and your family have a fun-filled experience!

I want to share with you the anticipation and excitement we are feeling about this year's upcoming Fair and its associated events.

From November 5 through November 9, we will be hosting events that have become traditions at the Fair. With what many consider to be the main attraction of the Fair, Amusements of America will return this year to provide an array of exciting rides and shows for our thrill seekers, the midway will have an assortment of heart racing, adrenaline charged rides to excite both the young and the young at heart. If you find yourself looking for a calmer experience, we will also offer rides that are a little more sedate. If you have young children, we are certainly ready to thrill and excite them as well. We will have a large mixed variety of children's rides for even the youngest of Fairgoers. From a fun filled midway loaded with rides and shows to the tasty foods provided by vendors from both near and far, you can expect to have a great time!

Not forgetting our roots, the Agricultural Fair also gives you an excellent opportunity to reconnect with days gone by. Many of us have long since moved off the farm and our children no longer have an opportunity to experience the variety of farm animals that used to be common in rural life. A short walk over to the animal shelter will give you the chance to experience livestock that were once commonplace at a farmhouse many years ago. Additionally, there will be many animal exhibits and competitions by student members of 4-H and FFA. Attending these events is both entertaining and informative.

Be sure to make your way through the 4-H building and browse the mini-booths prepared by the youth of Ware and surrounding counties. These young people work hard to provide informative displays, and you will likely stand amazed at the information provided by these school age competitors.

Another tradition of the Okefenokee Agricultural Fair is good old-fashioned competition. Come review the varieties of homemade arts and crafts submitted by local talent. Whether your grandmother enters her handmade quilt, your mother competes with a jar of her favorite homemade jam, or maybe you enter your own crocheted tablecloth, everyone is a winner when entrants display their crafts and wares.

Let us not forget the many local businesses and groups who set up their display booths inside the Fair building. As you pass through the gates, you will be surrounded by the many patrons who help make the Fair possible. Be sure to visit their booths and see what they have to offer.

As a result of the hard work and countless hours of service given by committee members and volunteers, alongside the strong support of our sponsors, local government agencies, churches, and you our patron we can support many local programs through monetary donations. Money generated at the Fair is returned to the community through the year in the form of donations to a wide variety of charities, scholarships, and school programs. Without the Fair, those donations would not happen.

We guarantee that you will not want to miss a minute of the fun at this year's Fair!  Come join us and make it one that you will remember for a long time to come.