Overton Fair Receives First Runner-Up In State Fair Competition

The Overton County Agricultural Fair received first runner-up honors from the Tennessee Association Of Fairs among small fairs.

Secretary Bob Matthews said the competition judges fairs on appearance, events offered, cleanliness, and the improvements each fair makes throughout the year. Matthews said the award will encourage people in the county to take more pride in their fair and work to make it even better in the future.

“We have more things planned to do for the upcoming years in improvements and trying to make our livestock shows better,” Matthews said. “It’s an agricultural-based fair, and in doing this, that helps us to work toward champion of champion fairs.”

Matthews said the fair won the award due to recent improvements in the livestock barn, improved electrical systems, and new glass doors that were added to several of its buildings. He said the award is a big honor that reflects on the quality of the fair.

“To compete with the other fairs and to be chosen as one of the best in our division, it’s an honor just to win that award,” Matthews said. “To know that your fair is one of the best in the division.”

Matthews said the Overton County Fair won the state’s Champion of Champions Fair award around ten years ago.

“In order to get to champion of champions you go through a process of being a premium fair and getting first runner-up and then hopefully by next year we can be the winning fair in our division,” Matthews said. “And then the winning fair in that division, then you would compete for champion of champions.”

Matthews said the Tennessee Association of Fairs has competitions in West, Middle, and East Tennessee for fairs of various sizes categorized from Single-A to Triple-A. He said the Overton County Fair competes in the Single-A category.