Bigger than before: The Sumter American Legion Fair returns this fall with horse show, costume contest, halter classes, art exhibit, Amusements of America rides
The Sumter American Legion Fair will return for its 104th year with rides, food and even more entertainment after COVID-19 canceled everything but the food last year.
The fair, located at 30 S. Artillery Drive at the Sumter County Fairgrounds, will take place on Oct. 19-24 instead of its usual September timeline to allow for more rides and entertainment for its return, as well as stay cautious of the ongoing pandemic.
"We're just happy we can do it," Fair Manager Peter St. Onge said. "It's a safe, family friendly event."
Sponsored by American Legion Post 15 Sumter and Piggly Wiggly, the fair will have 35 rides, more than 30 food vendors and about 70 commercial vendors returning to the fairgrounds.
According to St. Onge, a whole section of the county fair will be dedicated to motocross entertainer Cycle Circus, the largest FMX freestyle entertainment in the world today that combines action sports athletes with the theatrics of a cycle circus.
The fair will also feature Rosaire's Royal Racers, with three pig breeds racing at each 20- to 30-minute show throughout the day.
St. Onge said Amusements of America will return with its 35 full rides after being absent for a couple of years. In the past, the fair collaborated with Amusements of America for 60 years, but the dates didn't match up in the most recent years until now.
The fair will also focus on children's involvement by holding an art exhibit for local students and running a cattle barn with kid-friendly activities.
"Tommy Newman and Brittany Stevens will be running the cattle barn this year," St. Onge said. "They're planning to bring back a lot of the categories that we haven't had in years and expanding reach."
The fair will be reaching out to surrounding counties, such as Lee, Clarendon and Kershaw, to participate in the fair this year, bringing more spectators into Sumter.
The cattle barn will also bring a taste of 4-H activities back, which will also bring in more people.
"We're going to have a horse show," Stevens said. "Mainly for the kids, we're going to have a costume contest. We're going to have a lot of halter classes. Hopefully, we'll have some of the draft horses."
St. Onge said the Sumter County fair's full return will be a must-see event for families this year after so much was canceled last year because of the pandemic.
"Coming back out to the fair gives them a sense of normalcy," he said. "It brings back a family environment and a local community environment. It just lets them know we're still here for them."