LUMBERTON – Fall is in the air. You can tell when you take a deep breath of this cool, crisp, fresh fair…I mean air, or do I?

“A Breath of Fresh Fair” is the theme for this year’s Robeson Regional Agricultural Fair, which opens on Friday and runs through Oct. 5. That’s right, nine days of food, rides and family fun. Nine days of new entertainment, new competitions, and fresh looks all over the fairgrounds.

The first thing you might notice is our new look. Our theme comes with a new design featuring our new entertainment, rides, agricultural roots, and food. No other fair can highlight collard sandwiches like we can. After all, this is where this food favorite got its start.

We are excited to announce an entirely new lineup of professional and local talent to our schedule.

From The High-Flying Pages to MythiCreatures, and welcoming back Lew-E’s Comedy Circus, this family-friendly grouping will have you glued to your seat, laughing, and learning all at one time.

We are also excited to welcome Rob Cole from The Voice with special guest Anna Grace Hunt from American Idol, kicking off our local entertainment schedule. We have groups such as Antique Outlaws, Carolina the Band, and tons more available for no more than the cost of admission to the fair.

Let’s not forget the favorite local gospel groups, dance groups, and local artisans who will be demonstrating how they create their amazing art work.

We will have competitions available only at the fair on a daily basis.

Things like the Chicken Pickin’ Contest, ChainSaw Competition, Diaper Derby, and so much more.

So many of the competitions are open to the public to compete in and others are free to watch.

For example, the 4-H Animal Shows bring in youth from across the state to compete and see who is the best showman; raises the best market goat, heifer, sheep, rabbit, or chicken; or who has the best team judging poultry.

Let’s not forget about the biggest competitions of all, home exhibits.

This is where your school art, Lego builds, canning products, and more can be entered and judged (youth against youth and adults against adults).

You can earn ribbons and premium money for your efforts. For most folks who take part, this is about the ribbons and bragging rights; imagine telling folks you have a blue-ribbon jelly or knitted a blue-ribbon Afghan.

That is so much fun, and not everyone can say that.

To take part in this competition just bring your entries to the fairgrounds on Sunday from 1-6 p.m. or Monday-Wednesday, Sept. 23-25, from 4-8 p.m. Let’s not forget, you can pre-register on Fair Entry at https://www.fairentry.com/Fair/SignIn/20948

I know that sounds like a lot, but we haven’t even scratched the surface of the offerings at this year’s Robeson Regional Agricultural Fair.

To check out the schedule of events, purchase tickets in advance, or see our specials, entertainment line up, and more, go to www.robesoncountyfair.com and plan your Breath of Fresh Fair.

For more information, please contact Shea Ann DeJarnette, 4-H Youth Development Agent with North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Robeson County Center, at 910-671-3276, by E-mail at Shea_Ann_DeJarnette@ncsu.edu, or visit our website at https://robeson.ces.ncsu.edu/. Shea Ann is also licensed by the Emily Post Institute as a child etiquette teacher.

NC State University and N.C. A&T State University are collectively committed to positive action to secure equal opportunity and prohibit discrimination and harassment regardless of age, color, disability, family and marital status, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, political beliefs, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, and veteran status. NC State, N.C. A&T, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments cooperating.

ABOUT N.C. COOPERATIVE EXTENSION

North Carolina Cooperative Extension is a strategic partnership of NC State Extension, The Cooperative Extension Program at N.C. A&T State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA), and local government partners statewide. Extension delivers research-based education and technology from NC State and N.C. A&T that enriches the lives, land, and economy of North Carolinians. Extension professionals in all 100 counties and the Eastern Band of Cherokee provide educational programs specializing in agriculture, youth, communities, health, and the environment.