By Tim Gardner
One of the North Carolina High Country’s most popular, and downright beloved annual events– the Avery County Agricultural and Horticultural (A&H) Fair–will run this year from Wednesday, September 4 through Saturday, September 7 at Heritage Park (Avery County Fairgrounds), located at 661 Vale Road in Newland.
The Fair will start at 5:00 p.m. and last until 10:30 p.m. on Wednesday, September 4; Thursday, September 5; and Friday, September 6. The Fair will begin at 1:00 p.m. and last until 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 7.
Admission at the gate each day/evening/night of the Avery A&H Fair is free.
Various amusement rides, music, exhibits, demonstrations, games for children, competitions, including a beauty pageant, and much more ensure there’s plenty for people of all ages and interests to enjoy at the Fair. Whether a person is an enthusiast of agriculture, arts and crafts, or traditional ways of living, the Fair is known to offer the county’s best in all categories, along with a few special events. Also, including the thrilling amusement rides and various games for kids to the alluring displays in the livestock and farm and home tents, the Avery A&H Fair has something of interest and fun for everyone. Additionally, various food and drink vendors will be set up throughout the fairgrounds to satisfy the appetites and thirst of those attending. Linville Central Rescue Squad will host a kitchen, selling food and drink items every day during the Fair.
Amusement rides will run from 5:00 p.m. until 10:30 p.m. of the Fair on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday nights. On Saturday, amusement rides will start at 1:00 p.m., and continue until 10:30 p.m. Unlimited amusement ride bracelets are $25.00. A Family Packet of 25 Tickets is $24.00 and 50 Tickets costs $48.00. Individual Tickets are $1.25 each. All rides take 3 to 5 tickets. Amusement ride bracelets and tickets can be purchased at the Fair.
The Avery County Agricultural and Horticultural (A&H) Fair will celebrate its 31st year of operation in 2024 and has been a mainstay among the most anticipated yearly festivals in the North Carolina Mountains. 2024 will mark the sixth year that it will be hosted on the Heritage Park property since the completion of the county’s agriculture building headquarters on the site.
This year, the Fair is offering shuttle parking for all who wish to use it from the old Lowes Foods store in Newland to Heritage Park (one-and-a-half miles away) and back to the old Lowes Foods on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. The shuttle service will operate several times each evening and night on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, and on Saturday afternoon, evening, and night. There is no charge to use the shuttle service.
Thanks to the collaboration of the Avery County Government and the community members who volunteer to operate it, the Avery County Agricultural and Horticultural (A&H) Fair is a family-oriented event known for the preservation of the mountain heritage that has long been a way of life for the people of Avery County. Focused on the education and enjoyment of our children and others of all ages, the Avery A & H Fair also reminds county natives, residents, workers, and guests how agriculture and horticulture have played a major part in the county’s communities throughout generations and since the county was founded in 1911.
“I hope everyone who wants to and can, will attend this year’s Avery A&H Fair,” said its President, B.J. Beuttell. “I hope we have our largest crowds in history each day of the Fair. If we accomplish that feat, it will be crowds of more than 20,000 for the four days combined. There will be plenty of fun and enjoyment for all who attend. The Avery A&H Fair is one of the best annual events in our county’s rich history.”
Many who attend enter their livestock, produce, crafts, quilts, woodworking, cakes, pies, and more for the chance to win prizes. Winner ribbons will be presented for the best-canned goods, produce, flowers, arts, and crafts. Visitors can pick up the farm and home entry forms to enter the contests and to obtain a booth to set up during the Fair at the Avery County Cooperative Extension Center, located at Heritage Park.
Entries will be received at the Extension Service Office on the following dates and times:
Sunday, September 1—1:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m.
Monday, September 2 (Labor Day) –10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.
Tuesday, September 3– 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. (Includes cut flowers and other floral arrangements)
Wednesday, September 4–8:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. (Culinary Arts Foods and Baked Goods Only).
Livestock Entries will be accepted by appointment only. Contact Michelle South by phone at (828) 387-5748 for more details.
All exhibits and entries must be picked up on Sunday, September 8 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. All items left after this deadline will be discarded. The facility has no storage available for items left on the premises. Whoever cannot meet this deadline must make other pick-up arrangements before Sunday, September 8.
“The Fair is a wonderful opportunity to show off our community,” Beuttell stated. “There will be a lot of different exhibits and many people like to come and see what people raised, how big they were, how much they weighed, and so forth. The competition is open to anybody. People can bring their stuff out and participate and we judge just about anything. We have canned foods, cut flowers, baked goods, vegetables, and fruits in various categories, woodworking, paintings, crocheting, knitting, sewing, and almost anything else you can name.”
An annual highlight of the Avery A&H Fair’s activities is a long list of livestock shows and related events. This year’s schedule includes:
Wednesday, September 4
(5:00 p.m. until 10:30 p.m.)
Goat Showmanship Classes– 6:00 p.m.
Peewee Goat Tag Competition–7:00 p.m.
4-H Goat Tag Competition—7:30 p.m.
Livestock Patty Bingo– Throughout Night-When Board is Full
Lamb and Hog Showmanship Classes-Determined Upon Entries
Thursday, September 5
(5:00 p.m. until10:30 p.m.)
High Country 4-H Chick-to-Chicken Show–6:00 p.m.
Open Chicken Showmanship Show–6:30 p.m.
Open Rabbit Showmanship Show– 7:00 p.m.
Peewee Egg and Spoon Race—7:30 p.m.
Open Egg and Spoon Race ($)—7:45 p.m.
Open Cookie Cake Walk—8:00 p.m.
Livestock Patty Bingo—Throughout Night-When Board is Full
Chicken Patty Bingo– Throughout Night-When Board is Full
Friday, September 6
(5:00 p.m.– 10:30 p.m.)
Beef Showmanship Show–6:00 p.m.
Peewee Roping Competition—7:30 p.m.
4-H Roping Competition 8:00 p.m.
Open Roping Competition ($)—8:30 p.m.
Open Team Roping Competition—9:00 p.m.
Livestock Patty Bingo– Throughout Night-When Board is Full
Beef and Dairy Showmanship Classes– Determined Upon Entries
Saturday, September 7
(9:30 a.m.– 11:00 p.m.)
Multiple In-Hand and Mounted Horsemanship Shows throughout the Day starting at 11:00 a.m.
Livestock Patty Bingo– Throughout Night-When Board is Full
Equine Events, starting at 11:00 a.m. include:
1: Tiny Halter Showmanship (LT)
2: Peewee Halter Showmanship (LT)
3: 4-H (Beginner) Halter Showmanship (T)
4: Open Halter Showmanship (M)
5: Tiny Lead Line (Ages 1-6 yrs) (LT)
6: Peewee Lead Line (LT)
7: Peewee Walk/Walk (LT)
8: 4-H (Beginner) Western Pleasure Walk/Walk (M)
9: 4-H (Beginner) Western Pleasure Walk/Jog (M)
10: Open Western Pleasure Walk/Jog (T)
11: Open Ranch Rail Pleasure Walk/Jog (T)
12: 4-H (Beginner) Egg and Spoon (M)
13: Open Egg and Spoon Walk/Jog ($)
14: 4-H (Beginner) Water Glass Race (M)
15: Open Water Glass Race ($)
16: Simon Says ($)
17: Ride a Buck ($)
18: Peewee In-Hand Obstacles (LT)
19: Peewee Mounted Obstacles (LT)
20: 4-H (Beginner) In-Hand Obstacles (T)
21: Open In-Hand Obstacles ($)
22: 4-H (Beginner) Mounted Obstacles (T)
23: Open Mounted Obstacles ($)
Jackpot Classes ($) are $5 Entry Fee
Peewee Classes: Youth 8 years of age and under
Open Classes: Anyone (All Ages)
4-H (Beginner) Classes: Must be enrolled in 4-H and have less than two (2) years of experience
(LT): Prize: Little Trophy
(T): Prize: Trophy
(M): Prize: Medallion
($): Prize: Money from the jackpot
Classes are subject to be split or changed at the discretion of the Fair staff.
For further information about the livestock shows and classes or to obtain submission forms, phone Michelle South at (828) 387-5748.
Another highly popular event at the Avery A&H Fair is its beauty pageant–The Fairest of The Fair. It will be held on the Fair’s opening day, September 4 at 5:30 p.m. on Heritage Park’s Outdoor Entertainment Stage.
The divisions with five Queens and one King being crowned include:
Wee Miss Avery A&H Fair Age-Birth-2
Tiny Miss Avery A&H Fair-Age 3-5
Little Miss Avery A&H Fair-Age-6-10
Junior Miss Avery A&H Fair-Age-11-15
Miss Avery A&H Fair-Age 16-21
Mister Avery A&H Fair-Age-Birth-12
The entry fee is $30.00 for Wee, Tiny, and Mister Divisions and $40.00 for Little, Junior, and Miss. Contestants can register at the Avery County Extension Office until its deadline on Tuesday, September 3 at 4:30 p.m.
Contact Chrissy Campbell by phone at (828) 387-1332 for more details about the beauty pageant.
A Faith & Family Night will be held on Wednesday (September 4) with guest speakers Jamie Shell, Jonathan Sheppard, and Dennis Aldridge, from 6:30 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. before musical entertainment starts.
In fact, a multitude of musical entertainment will be offered on all days of the Fair. The musical line-up includes:
Wednesday, September 4
*Church Choirs and Other Gospel Performances—7:00 p.m. until 7:30 p.m.
*Erica McKinney (Gospel)– 7:30 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.
*Fully Persuaded (Gospel/Bluegrass) 8:00 p.m. until 9:30 p.m.
Thursday, September 5
*Avery County Community Band—5:30 p.m. until 6:00 p.m.
*Avery JAM (Junior Appalachian Musicians) – 6:15 p.m. until 6:45 p.m.
*Best In Show Talent Show– 7:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.
Individuals, Duos, and Groups are encouraged to compete in the talent show. The top three (3) performances will be awarded and may appear at more local eventssuch as the Town of Newland Christmas and Independence Day parades and the Avery A&H Draft Pull.
The talent show entry fee is $20.00.
Contact Christian Gardner by phone at (828) 387-1332 for further information about the talent show.
*The Collective (Cover Band) 8:15 p.m. until 9:45 p.m.
Friday, September 6
*Smith Creek (Country/Rock) 5:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m.
*Boone & Church Band (Bluegrass) 6:15 p.m.-until 7:15 p.m.
*Mikele Buck Band (Country) 7:30 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.
*Aaron Walker (Country/Rock) 9:15 p.m. until 10:30 p.m.
Saturday, September 7
*Blue Ridge Performing Arts (Dance) 11:00 a.m. until 11:30 a.m.
*Trailblazer Cloggers (Dance) 11:30 a.m. until 12:00 noon
*Appalachian Irish Dance Company (Dance) 12:00 noon until 12:30 p.m.
*Kyle Dills (Acoustic-Country) 1:45 p.m. until 2:45 p.m.*Dusty River Band (Bluegrass) 3:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m.
*Adrian Bundy Band (Classic Country) 4:15 p.m. until 5:30 p.m.
*Adam Church (Acoustic-Country/Rock) 5:30 p.m. until 6:30 p.m.
*Toe River Drifters (Bluegrass) 6:45 p.m. until 7:45 p.m.
*Blue Highway (Bluegrass) 8:00 p.m. until 9:30 p.m.
The Appalachian Holler Hunters will also sponsor two events on Saturday, September 7 at the Fair–an Old-Fashioned Horseshoe Championship and an Axe Throwing Championship. The Old-Fashioned Horseshoe Championship will be held at 3:00 p.m. and the Axe Throwing Championship will follow at 5:00 p.m.
The entry fees for the Old-Fashioned Horseshoe Championship are $40.00 per team or $20.00 per person. Its Grand Prize is $300.00, based on an “8” Team line-up, and is subject to change.
The Axe Throwing Championship entry fee is $20.00 per person. Its Grand Prize is also $300.00, based on a minimum of 15 entries, and is also subject to change.
The Avery County H&A Fair has been operating with the help of the local N.C. Cooperative Extension throughout its existence. Its proceeds provide funding for the Lindsay Beuttell and Avery A&H Fair Scholarships given to local students as well as to cover the operating costs for the annual event.
“The Avery A&H Fair is a bonafide North Carolina Department of Agriculture (NCDA) Fair and it’s put on by a group of volunteers who come together and then work collectively for a common, goodwill cause,” remarked Jerry Moody, Avery County Fair Manager and Extension Service Director. “The extension office helps as our staff, the Avery A&H Fair Board members, and many others provide the necessary support and other forms of resources to help put on the Fair each year. It’s primarily held so we can raise money to offer scholarships to deserving students, which has been done since the Fair first opened in 1993. It’s also a great opportunity for us to show off Avery County’s rich cultural and agricultural history, of which our county’s citizens and other residents take great pride.”
Beuttell noted that the Fair needs more volunteers: “It takes a lot of meticulous preparation and hard work to pull the Fair off each year,” she said. “And we can always use volunteers because there’s always more work to be done than we have time or people for. Anyone who wants to help is encouraged to do so. Those interested in doing so can call the extension office (phone number listed at the end of this article) and let the staff know their intentions or either show up at the Fair and let any of our staff there know that they wish to volunteer. There will be plenty for volunteers to help do. And their work will be greatly appreciated!”
Besides Beuttell (President and Home and Garden) ), Michelle South (Manager, Fair Set-Up, and Livestock) Jerry Moody (Manager Emeritus and Fair Set-Up), the Avery A & H Fair Board of Directors consists of the following members with the specific function each oversees listed in parenthesis: Tim Buchanan (Vice-Chairman), Katie Toney (Vice-Chairwoman and Vendors); Lisa Moody (Treasurer); Chrissy Campbell (Beauty Pageant); Kara Taylor (Social Media); Debbie Smith (Artwork and Home and Garden); Aneda Johnson (Heritage-History); Christian Gardner (Entertainment); and Sapna Beuttell (General Member).
For more general information about the Avery H&A Fair, call the Avery County Fair at (828) 387-6870 or the Avery Cooperative Extension Service office at (828) 733-8270 and/or log onto its Internet website (averyahfair.com) or its Social Media Facebook page at: facebook.com/AveryAHFair.
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