Tradition alive at Neshoba County Fair

By By Penny Randall / staff writer
July 25, 2003
The Neshoba County Fair is no ordinary fair. People say it's more like a big family reunion.
Thrash's family owns a cabin on Founders Square.
Known as "Mississippi's Giant House Party," the Neshoba County Fair has been a tradition since 1889. It has grown from a two-day meeting of local farmers and their families, to an eight-day event in more than 600 cabins and 200 RV campers.
The 2003 fair, which begins today at the Neshoba County Fairgrounds, fosters political, agriculture, and social exchanges of knowledge and ideas.
The fair cabin is the center of activity for families staying at the fair and the front porch is the most popular gathering place. Porches are for sitting, visiting and just watching the neighborhood activities.
Neighborhoods such as Happy Hollow, Sunset Strip, Founders Square and Greenleaf Hollow all have their own personalities and traditions.
New to the fair this year are hospitality cabins. Beginning Saturday, a different cabin will be designated each day from 1 p.m.-5 p.m. as the hospitality cabin.
Great food is another attraction of the fair.
But there are plenty of other things besides visiting and eating which make for a day at the fair.
There are merry-go-rounds to ride, prizes to win, new friends to make and old ones to see again. There are races to get excited about, exhibits to see and politicians to shake hands with.
There's an antique car parade to watch and something called a "chair race" that just can't be explained.
In fact, the fair itself can't really be explained you've got to walk the red dirt and sawdust yourself.