Isle of Wight county fair to be old-fashioned fun

Next weekend the Isle of Wight Fairgrounds at Heritage Park will look as if it sprang from a Norman Rockwell painting.

Its 2009 County Fair, from Thursday through next Sunday, will offer an event as old fashioned as one can get. It will include beauty queens, music, cured-meat and farm-equipment competitions, vehicle contests, carnival rides, local talent show winners, lots of 4H livestock and, of course, enough corn dogs, cotton candy and funnel cakes to spoil hundreds of appetites.

Friday's national headliner will feature the old-school soul and R&B of legend Clarence Carter, the blind-at-birth Alabama singer/songwriter noted for such soul classics as "Slip Away," "Snatching It Back" and "Patches." Along with his hits, he'll also perform selections from his latest album, 2007's "The Final Stroke."

Contemporary country will fill the bill Saturday with headliner Jack Ingram. The Houston singer/songwriter has been around since 1992, but his biggest break came in 2005 when he achieved the No. 1 country hit "Wherever You Are." He's touring behind his new album, "Big Dreams & High Hopes."

The fair culminates next Sunday with the rowdy country rockin', honky-tonkin' sound of Marietta, Ga.'s Confederate Railroad. A former backing band for country rebel David Allan Coe, the band has released 10 albums and charted 20 singles on Billboard's Hot Country Songs. Some of its biggest hits include "Queen of Memphis," "Daddy Never Was the Cadillac Kid" and "Jesus and Mama." It s latest album is 2007's collection of covers, "Cheap Thrills."

Throughout the weekend the fair's stage will also include performances from such regional favorites as the Grant Austin Taylor Band, the Canyon Road Band, 32 South and Honkytonk Highway.

Throughout the four days, the fair will include antique, mini and modern tractor pulls, a cured-ham competition, food judging, monster trucks, lawn mower and ATV races, 4H goat shows, bull riding and the American Legion Benefit Motorcycle Ride.

There will be a variety of carnival rides and attractions, along with helicopter rides provided by Decker Aviation, weather permitting.

Also included will be a variety of fair goodies and snacks throughout the weekend, and the Seafood Fest at 5:30 p.m. Thursday.

Tickets for the fest are $25 in advance, $35 at the gate, and include admission to the fair, all the seafood one can consume and live music by the Canyon Road Band. Get tickets at the Isle of Wight Country Fire Department, 17140 Monument Circle, or the county Parks and Recreation Department in Nike Park, 13036 Nike Park Road, Carrollton.

And finally, for those wanting a bit of royalty, the 2009 Miss Isle of Wight County Fair Pageant winners will make appearances throughout the four days. The competition was Aug. 1 at Smithfield High School and featured 44 contestants overall.

The winners are: Julie Lynn Williamson (Wee Miss), MaKayla Burks (Little Miss), Brittany Trump (Junior Miss), Jackie Morin (PreTeen Miss), Christine Joslin (Teen Miss) and Whitney Beale (Miss Isle of Wight Fair).

Eric Feber, 222-5203,

eric.feber@pilotonline.com