Stafford County Fair: The Rebirth Story

Stafford County Fair returns after a 51-year lapse

Date published: 10/18/2010 By DAN TELVOCK

When you want to host the first agricultural fair in 50 years, and its weekend debut must go off without a hitch, there's one family that gets called: the Sheltons. The Stafford County Fair is back, thanks to Gordon Shelton, Mountain View High School, and a host of businesses and volunteers.

The Sheltons have been involved with local fairs and community events for more than four generations. Gordon Shelton, a lifelong Stafford resident, proposed the idea of having a fair as a fundraiser for the high school. He researched the Free Lance-Star archives and believes the last Stafford County Fair was in 1959. The school's PTSO quickly appointed Shelton as the fair manager, and he organized the event in less than two months.

The fair ran last weekend and concluded at 7 p.m. yesterday with music by the bluegrass and gospel group One Lane Bridge. "The vendors and sponsors, everyone did something," he said on the fair's final day. "It's going great. We couldn't do it without the support of the local community."

Burton's Automotive, Fredericksburg Motorsports, and Hartwood Grocery were among the sponsors that contributed to making the fair happen. The event featured rides—including a Ferris wheel and bumper cars—more than a dozen games, corn dogs, cotton candy, and volunteer fire and rescue demonstrations.

Shelton expressed his desire to hold the fair annually and encouraged people to keep visiting the fair's website for future announcements. Admission, parking, and live music were all free, as Shelton wanted every family to enjoy the fair. Ride tickets were priced at $20 at the gate or $10 if purchased from any of the sponsors. "For the first time, I didn't think it was that bad," said Nicole Decker, who was cooking hot dogs and hamburgers with students for the school's PTSO. 

staffordfair.com

Photo: Kyle Hartzell (left), 14, and Jacob Jabro, 9, ride the Paratrooper at the Stafford County Fair at Mountain View High School yesterday. MIKE MORONES/THE FREE LANCE-STAR