Putnam Fair Opens Its Run Thursday

The 2024 Putnam County Fair is underway featuring flashing red and green lights.

This will be the first fair under new Putnam County Fair President Brenda Gentry. Gentry said the fair will return some community favorites such as motor events, live music, and Grandma’s Barnyard.

“We have Christmas at the fair this year,” Gentry said. “The fairgrounds are going to be decorated, it’s going to be a festive fair this year. We’ve got a Christmas light show on the south side of the south grandstand.”

The fair is a 10-day long event, running through August 10. The fair will also return the James Gang Amusement Carnival. Gentry said the fair may be Christmas-themed but it will still capture the Putnam County culture.

“I had somebody talk to me yesterday,” Gentry said. “She came in and she was from Kentucky, and just had moved here in the last couple of years. She said she had never seen a fair like our fair. She said we are so community-minded and she said we present the community in everything we do. It was amazing to her and it made us feel wonderful.”

Gentry said the reason why the fair is so successful is due to the hard work of the volunteers.

“We have over 150 volunteers,” Gentry said. “We could not put on the fair without our fair volunteers. They are so precious to us.”

Gentry said the county fair is hosted in August because of the crop competition the fair hosts every year. Gentry said the fair provides economic benefits to Putnam County.

“We bring a lot of business to businesses,” Gentry said. “We reserve hotel rooms for some of our guests and promoters. It is a big economic boost to the community.”