Weekend packed with events

There will be no shortage of things to do in Gordon County this weekend, as a whole host of events are scheduled beginning Friday.

Northwest Georgia Fair

This year’s Northwest Georgia Regional Fair will kick off Friday night and run through Sept. 18, at the Cherokee Capital Fairgrounds off Ga. 53.

A somewhat modified fair will still take place as scheduled, but with several changes due to the COVID-19 surge.

Organizers say that since the fair takes place all outdoors, but with precautions including handwashing stations as well as the encouragement of social distancing and masks through signage around the fairgrounds.

All carnival ride and game attendants, food staff, volunteers and entertainers have been vaccinated and masks will be available at all entrances.

This year’s entertainment options will include the Circus Incredible Show, featuring Lyric Wallenda of the world famous Wallenda family, as well as Simon Arestov of the famous Moscow Circus Arestov family who will perform two shows of fear tingling feats nightly.

All American Educational Zoo will be open nightly with over 100 animals to learn about, enjoy and feed. Stage performances will be held nightly featuring local dance groups and performers, all following safety standards.

Also continuing, helicopter rides will be offered nightly by Chattanooga Helicopter Tours. The helicopter will be sanitized between each ride to assure safety, organizers say.

Livestock and animal competitions are set to continue this year, but will be spaced and limited to local entries only.

4-H, FFA and Young Farmers will all be participating. Gordon County 4-H will host Scarecrow and Pumpkin Decorating contests. Information is available for entries through the local 4-H.

A late addition, 12-year-old Florida indie artist Leon Vincent of Tampa Bay has been added to the entertainment slate at this year’s fair.

Vincent will be performing his songs on the piano, the ukulele and guitar nightly, Friday through

Sunday. His first song “Highway Girl” he wrote at the age of seven.

Food and commercial vendors will be set up nightly outdoors and will have ample space for display. Registration forms for vendors are available at nwgafair.com.

Gates will open nightly at 5 p.m. Admission is $5 per person for ages 6 and older. Unlimited ride armbands may be purchased each night for $25.

Rough Rider 5K

Hosted by Calhoun’s Georgia Army National Guard unit, this year’s Rough Rider Memorial 5K will begin at 7:30 a.m., Saturday, at the George Chambers Resource Center, 1000 Highway 53 Spur.

Participants may run, walk or ruck, with virtual options also available.

Amazing Race

The Gordon Chamber’s Young Professional Committee will host Amazing Race 2021 beginning at the

Sonoraville Recreation Complex, Saturday at 10 a.m.

Teams must be registered and ready to run by 9:30 a.m. The registration booth will open at 9 a.m.

With questions, call Joni Harbin at 706-625-3200 or email jharbin@gordoncountychamber.com.

Fair parade

This year’s parade is still scheduled for downtown on Saturday, beginning at 11 a.m. and has been renamed “Northwest Georgia Fair’s Patriot Day Parade.”

Lineup will begin at

10 a.m. on North Park Avenue, and the parade will travel west on Line Street, turn south onto Wall Street and travel to Hicks Street where the parade will turn again and end on Park Avenue near Court Street.

The parade will feature local bands and performing groups, and will honor public safety agencies, military, veterans and those who have given to our nation through service.

A brief ceremony is scheduled just prior to the parade at the Courthouse and will remember those

sacrifices made 20 years ago on 9-11, 2001. The national anthem will be sung to start the parade.

The fair will also be honoring active military, veterans and public safety officials with free gate admission on Saturday Sept. 10 after 5 p.m.

Parade participants and spectators are urged to stay COVID-safe and use precautions by social distancing and other opportunities

to keep safe.

Meals of Freedom Lunch Celebration

Samantha Lusk & Associates Realty will host a Meals of Freedom barbecue lunch Celebration, Saturday, from noon to 2 p.m.

Food will be served at the VFW outdoor pavilion, 406 W. Line St., for military veterans and local first responders.