The 74th annual edition of the fall North Georgia Agricultural Fair starts at the North Georgia Agricultural Fairgrounds on Oct. 20.
The fair will last 11 days. But fairgrounds manager Rick Pippin said one day is particularly special.
“On Wednesday (Oct. 26), we will bring in children with special needs,” he said. “We’ll get them through the buildings and see the animals and the art. We’ll have a sea lion show for them in the morning and one in the afternoon. We’ll have some rides they can ride. We’ll have lunch for them. That’s always been a special day for us.”
The Sea Lion Splash show features sea lions performing in pools and playing with each other between shows.
The children will be admitted free. For more information, call (706) 278-1712.
Unlike many other events, the fair was not closed because of COVID-19 in 2020 or 2021. But Pippin said organizers did make changes in terms of social distancing and sanitation to reduce the spread of the virus.
“We didn’t open the buildings,” he said. “Everything was open air.”
That meant the traditional arts and crafts competitions and animal shows were canceled.
They will return this year.
Pippin said fairgoers can expect some surprises.
“There will be some new rides this year,” he said. “I can’t talk about them now. But we are getting some new stuff. We want to step forward and not keep doing the same things every year. We want every fair to be bigger and better than the ones we’ve done before. We will have the Sea Lion Splash show.”
“People who have seen it really love it,” said Pippin. “You ask any fair manager who has had it, that’s the best in the business.”
The fair will take place Oct. 20 through Oct. 30 from 5 to 11 p.m. on weekdays, 5 p.m. to midnight Fridays and 1 p.m. to midnight Saturdays and Sundays.
Admission is $5. The fairgrounds are at 500 Legion Drive in Dalton.
For more information and to purchase mega passes that include gate admission and unlimited rides for $25, go to northgafair.com.
Staff Photo by Matt Hamilton / Jimmy Earhart gives a fish reward to a sea lion named Syra during a performance on Oct. 24, 2021, in Dalton, Ga., at the 73rd Annual North Georgia Fair.