Buck Pyatt watched as a team of horses trotted down Main Street in Berryville on Saturday as the Carroll County Fair kicked off with its annual parade.
For many in the region, including Pyatt, the fair has been a family tradition experienced through the generations.
Don Foster, fair board president, said the event draws the community together.
“You will see a lot of folks you haven’t seen all year long,” Foster said. “It is a good, fun time and it is good for the county.”
Pyatt attended the fair with his grandchildren Saturday and reminisced about going to the fair as a child.
“I couldn’t wait for the fair each year,” Pyatt said.
The fair also reminds Pyatt and his wife, Jody, of their first years together, before they were married.
“He liked the Ferris wheel,” Jody Pyatt said. “I didn’t.”
Across Main Street, Amelia Weston, 3, of Berryville, jumped up and down and waved as floats rolled by.
“Over here, over here,” Amelia yelled to Miss Carroll County contestants.
Amelia’s mom, Angel Swallow, said her family has been attending the fair since they moved to the region 10 years ago.
“It is fun,” Swallow said. “I like our town and how we have these little traditions.”
It is estimated that the fair has been running in Carroll County since the early 1900s, said Heath Blankenship, the fair board treasurer. He said local historians think it has been held every year with the exception of two years during World War II.
“People have been coming here for years,” Blankenship said.
Natalie Blitz of Berryville marched with the Berryville High School band in the parade. As a senior, this will be her last year walking in the parade, she said.
“I almost cried this morning because it is our last year to go,” Blitz said. “Our band family has so much fun.”
Ashli Chaney, a fair board member, said the fair is a good experience for youths in the region. She said 4-H exhibitions teach children responsibility.
“Our main goal is the kids,” Chaney said. “They are the future of our county. The fair offers a constructive environment for them.”
The fair averages about 10,000 visitors a year, most of whom are from Carroll County, Blankenship said. Board members hope some new events, such as a Latino folklore dance performance, will draw people from neighboring counties as well.
The fair is held at the Carroll County Fairgrounds and runs through Saturday. Other events will include 4-H exhibitions, horseshoe pitching contests, lawnmower and go-cart races, and a concert.
More information and a schedule of events are available at carrollcountyfairgrounds.com