County Fair gets a makeover
BY TONI HOPPER
This year’ s Stephens County Free Fair is getting a makeover. Most noticeable will be the lack of a midway carnival. Fairboard Chairman Jacob Hankins said that and other changes were necessary and attributed to a push for more fair involvement. In place of the carnival, a rodeo will return to the county fair. Another major change, the youth livestock show moves to two nights, earlier in the week. That means a longer“ fair week” – instead of three days, the fair board can fill an entire week with events and activities.
Over the last decade, between booking the carnival rides, and school year start dates moving up in August, eventually they collided. While it isn’ t the only reason for declining attendance, it has contributed. Only 10 years ago, the fair was traditionally held in the last week of the month.
“ The carnival that we’ ve had for at least the last three years was not able to fulfill this year,” Hankins said. Looking at other companies, none were available.“ That required a complete re-thought of how we were going to do this,” he said. It was not a position we wanted to be in, but we’ re trying to make the best of the situation.”
Hosting a free county fair involves many organizations and hundreds of people behind the scenes. One of the biggest reasons, based on state history, is hosting a livestock show for the youth.
“ As a fair board we have two responsibilities, according to state statutes, and that is to put on a livestock show, and to put on a spring livestock show,” Hankins said.“ We have to work in cooperation with the ag teachers, with the schools, and you know, the kids and families.”
Hankins knows these things from experience – FFA in high school, parenthood and being self-employed in the livestock industry. He is now on his second threeyear term with the fairboard.
In February, just prior to the Spring Livestock Show, he was elected to serve as chairman.
“ That( FFA) was probably one of the most fundamental leadership organizations that I was involved with in high school. And when it comes to the livestock side of it, that was something I grew up with. Raising cattle still to this day,” he said.
“ And what I found is that there are opportunities that our youth receive through exhibiting livestock. That experience in animal husbandry care, you know, looking after another living being and being responsible for it. Those types of experiences can’ t be replicated through any other program or experience,” he said.“ That’ s why I’ m passionate about it, connecting our youth with livestock and agriculture and hopefully teaching what it takes another generation to feed the nation.”
In 2023, the Farmhand Olympics and tractor driving competition had a large attendance with 4-H and FFA from all the schools in the county participating, but in
6 FREE FAIR FUN | 2026