Winston County Fair in Double Springs this week

DOUBLE SPRINGS       - The Winston County Fair is returning to Double Springs after a three-year absence due to COVID, and plans are for more rides and food, all while financially assisting non-profit organizations throughout the county.
The fair is being provided by C&M Southern Midways Monday, April 17, through Sunday, April 23, at Seymour-Bevill Recreational Park on Highway 195, with varied opening times and special discounts daily, according to fair manager Paul Marini.
“This will be the first year we’ve had it since COVID shut everything down,” noted Crystal Till, co-director of Community Unity, which is sponsoring the fair, along with the Town of Double Springs.
“The people who own fair companies  really went through a tough time with COVID,” Till pointed out. “It completely shut them down, so it took them a while to get ramped back up.”
“It’s great to come back and see all our friends in Double Springs and Winston County,” Marini pointed out. “It’s been a long time.
“COVID was the ultimate downfall for most carnival companies,” Marini noted. “We thought we were recession-proof.  COVID proved that we were not COVID proof.”
The fair is returning with a full schedule, which includes scouts, school and church groups helping with parking each day and live music performed by Meek High School Band Director Zach Cleghorn Saturday, April 22.
A special ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held to kick off the fair at 4:30 p.m. April 17.  
Gates will open at 5 p.m., with $5 admission per adult and $3 admission per child ages 11 and younger, according to fair guidelines. Children 30 inches and under in height will be admitted free.
All armbands will be $18.  Tickets will be $1.25 apiece, with each ride taking two to five tickets, organizers explained.
Gates will open at 6 p.m. April 18-21. On Tuesday, April 18, all prices will be the same, except children under 11 will be admitted for $2. On Wednesday, April 19, all prices will be the same with the exception of armbands costing $15 and children admitted for $3.
On Thursday, April 20, all-you-can-ride armbands will be $20, which will also be the cost on Friday, April 21.
There will be some changes for Saturday, April 22, with gates opening at noon.  Those in the military, first responders, including police, firefighters, emergency medical services; hospital workers and school teachers can get gate admission, as well as armbands at 10 percent off, when showing the proper identification.  All other armbands will be $20.
The finale will be Sunday, April 23, with gates opening at 2 p.m. with admission at $3 for adults, $3 for children and armbands $15 until 6 p.m.
New rides to the fair this year will be Hurricane, Zipper, Roundup and Ballistic, according to Marini.
“We are going to have 23 rides,” Marini pointed out, noting the fair had around 15 to 16 rides at past events in Winston County.
 The fair will also have new vendors, including T-shirts, alligator kabobs, fried gator and shrimp and macaroni and shrimp.
“We really want people to come out and have fun, get back to some sort of normalcy,” Marini pointed out. “We can start being us again, getting out and enjoying family time together.
“That’s really what we want to promote,” Marini continued. “Get out with the family.”
 
Non-profit organizations benefit from fair

Each year, the fair gives non-profit organizations an opportunity to earn money for their needs by helping at the gate and by assisting in parking vehicles, Marini said.
Each night, a non-profit organization  is lined up to help, Marini said.
“In return, we give them money for  everyone who walks through the gate,” Marini said. “We give them a piece of the pie.”

Those feeling sick warned not to attend

Although employees will be cleaning rides before the fair opens each day, the public is asked not to attend if they are feeling sick, according to Marini.
“We can’t take those chances,” said Marini. “We can’t ask for your temperature anymore. Those are policies the state has eliminated.”

Beauty pageant addition to fair

Another addition to the fair will be the Winston County Fair Queen Pageant, which will take place Sunday, April 23, at the Rock Family Worship Center, Till stated.
“It’s going to become an annual part of the fair,” Till pointed out.
“The purpose of Community Unity has always been to draw out our folks, to do things together, to be together,” Till pointed out. “We want families to come out and have a good time. And that creates a bigger family called community.”