Fair’s old-time photo stand also Tenn. family’s getaway
Annual trip to Florida more important after Gatlinburg wildfires.
April Stewart took pictures of a 6-foot-5 18-year-old and his family in western garb at the South Florida Fair old-time photo stand on opening day Friday. What’s so special about that? Well, she’s been doing it every year since he was a 2-year-old toddler.
Stewart and her family have always run the photo stand, which has been in the same spot every year since 1992. And she loves seeing the same people every year.
She and her husband, Matt, started the business in Gatlinburg, Tenn., after working at a similar one for two years in North Carolina. They had been living in West Palm and attending the fair since they had just married.
The family loves driving down from chilly Tennessee to get a taste of the Florida sun every year in January, but this time it’s a little more important. Did we see you at the South Florida Fair? Check us out online for photo galleries, fair info and more:
The business took a hit after recent wildfires in Tennessee devastated the Gatlinburg area and killed at least 14 people. Their photo business suffered only minor smoke damage, but their customer base has taken a hit.
“It’s going to take a long time to rebuild all that,” Stewart said..
She said downtown Gatlinburg was mostly spared, but many houses and cabins around the town were destroyed.
The Stewarts’ family friend Andy Houston hopped into the business after it started, and he has helped keep the West Palm Beach connection alive.
Houston is originally from the area and his family is still in South Florida. He has been coming to the fair every year since 1972 when he had to be pushed around in