The Market Bulletin's 2013 Fair Guide

We hope to see all of you at the Georgia National Fair in Perry over the next two weeks! The Market Bulletin booth will be at the Georgia Grown building -- stop by and chat for a few minutes, and bring your friends over to start their subscription!

There's plenty to see and do at the fair this year. Here's some information to help guide you through your 2013 experience ...

First things first. How do you get to the fairgrounds?
The Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter are located at 401 Golden Isles Parkway, right off the Larry Walker Parkway exit off I-75.

How much is admission? And parking?!
Good news -- parking is FREE the whole time!
On Oct. 3, adult and senior tickets are discounted to $6 and kids 10 and under get in free. Oct. 3 one-day armbands are $16. For Oct. 4 through 13, adults are $10, seniors $8, groups of 20 adults or more $9 each and kids 10 and under are still free.
Advance passes are also available -- $9 for one-day, $16 for two-day and $65 for season.

What's this about ride armbands?
Ride armbands are priced as follows:
$16 on Oct. 3 and 8
$20 on Oct. 7, 9, 10 and 13
Armbands don't include fair admission, Speed, Power Jump, non-mechanical rides, the Jeff Smith Kia Agri-Lift or boat rides.

Can I buy single ride tickets?
Sure! Single tickets are $1.25. Sheets of tickets are available for $12 (12 tickets), $24 (26 tickets) and $60 (65 tickets).

What's in each of the big buildings on the fairgrounds?
A GREAT question. Here's a sample of the things you can find if you decide to escape the outdoors for a little while:
Miller-Murphy-Howard: This is the place to be to see all of the fair's artists-in-residence! There will be sewing, painting, wood carving, quilting, glasswork demonstrations and more. You can also check out the Georgia Water Quality Story, Wool Story and the Georgia Cotton Women exhibits.
Heritage Hall: Check out the Honey Bee Story, the Centennial Farms story, youth competitions and more!
Georgia Grown: The newest building is home to Georgia Christmas Trees, the Georgia Grown Story, Food for Four and the Cotton Story. Plus, there will be a number of vendors and commodity groups present, so make sure to stop by.
In addition, make sure to check out the Beef Story, Dairy Story and Goat/Sheep Story in the barn, the Poultry Story in the Poultry World Building and the Rabbit Story in the Multipurpose Building!

I know there are usually some entertainers out and about. What can we expect this year?
Strolling entertainers and concert stages are mainstays of the fair. On Oct. 3, there will be a FREE outdoor concert, and tickets are $30 each for the two evening concerts -- Hunter Hayes and Love and Theft on Oct. 5, and Justin Moore and Thompson Square on Oct. 12.
Free entertainment throughout the fair will include performances by live music, a high dive show, comedic routines, iron works demonstrations, circus performers, fireworks, a sea lion show, magicians, a petting zoo, clowns, racing pigs, sheep riding, fireworks and more!

I've got little kids coming with me and this is a lot of walking. How much are stroller rentals?
Single strollers are $10 per day and double strollers $15. In addition, fairgoers can rent wheelchairs for $12 a day, wagons for $12 a day and electric scooters for $50 per day. Electric scooters can also be rented for four hours ($25) or eight hours ($40).

Are there any special days this year?
Yes indeed! The special days are as follows:
Oct. 7, Patriotic Day: Free admission for military and immediate family, discounted gate admission for kids 11 to 18 years old ($6) and ride armbands for $20 (12 to 9 p.m.)
Oct. 8, Terrific Tuesday: Free admission for military and immediate family, discounted adult gate admission ($8), ride armbands for $16 (12 to 9 p.m.) and a free outdoor concert by The Temptations and The Grapevine Band
Oct. 9, Georgia Lottery Day: Save $1 on adult admission when you bring in a non-winning Georgia Lottery ticket; ride armbands for $20 (12 to 9 p.m.)
Oct. 10, Ride Armbands: $20 for ride armbands from 12 to 9 p.m.
Oct. 13, Last Blast: $20 13 WMAZ ride armbands from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

I love looking at all the arts and crafts winners. What are some of these for?
The Georgia National Fair is home to a number of competitions, done by the Georgia Living Program. These include antiques, camellias, Christmas trees, creative crafts, culinary, painting, food preserving, photography, sewing, soap carving and more. In addition, there are education displays from youth programs including 4-H, FFA, DECA, FCCLA, SkillsUSA, CTI and TSA.

There are a ton of animals here! What's all that about?
Families come from all over to showcase the best of their livestock. The fair has livestock competitions for dairy cattle, beef cattle, goats, sheep, pigs, rabbits and llamas. Plus, there are a number of equine shows -- team roping, saddlebreds, miniature horses, feathered horses and draft horses -- to delight horse lovers of all ages.
And don't forget to come to the Legislative Livestock Showdown on Saturday, where members of the Georgia House and Senate are paired up with an experienced livestock showman from 4-H or FFA and compete! It's a great, friendly competition that showcases some of our state's best junior livestock exhibitors and their animals.

This all sounds super cool. When do the gates open?!
Gates open Oct. 3 from 3 to 10 p.m. For the rest of the fair, gates open at 8 a.m. and close at 10 p.m. Rides are open on weekdays at noon and weekends at 10 a.m., and the buildings open at 9 a.m. every day.

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We hope this answers some of your pressing fair questions before you hit the road! If you've got something we didn't cover, call the Georgia National Fair at 478-987-3247 or visit www.georgianationalfair.com. We hope to see you there!