bvelliquette@heraldsun.com; 918-1042
PITTSBORO -- Ever see a 692-pound pumpkin?
You can today at the Chatham County Fair.
"It's nice to see something that weighs more than me," Barbara Mastej joked after looking at the plump pumpkin.
A group of seniors were at the fairgrounds Friday afternoon for Senior Day, and many of them strolled over to look at the gigantic pumpkins and watermelons.
"Holy smokes," Betty Cherry said upon seeing the first-place winner. "Where did they grow that at?"
There were also a pair of watermelons that weighed 146 and 192 pounds.
"Is that a real watermelon?" Cherry asked. "It can't be."
Today is the last, but also the biggest day at the Chatham County Fair. There will be music, dancing, a youth talent contest, the Miss Chatham County Fair pageant and a good old-fashioned Ice Cream Churn Off. If that doesn't turn your crank, how about some professional wrestling in the evening?
The fair is held every year at the Chatham County Fairgrounds, located on the east side of Pittsboro.
Mary Parker, who is on the board of directors of the Chatham County Agricultural Fair Association, remembers going to the fair when she was in high school.
"I graduated from Horton High School in 1956," she said. "We used to walk through these woods over here to see the fair. Back then that was the biggest thing because we weren't going to the state fair in Raleigh."
Parker and the other members of the board are trying to revive the fair and encourage more Chatham County residents to participate in the various agricultural and talent contests.
This year, they've started their improvement campaign by hiring a new amusement contractor, Fun Time Amusements. For the little children, there are four or five rides including a Merry-Go-Round and a tot train.
For the older kids, there's a Super Slide, the Spinner, the Roll-O-Plane and the Tubs-O-Fun.
"We have more rides than usual," Parker said. "Each year we want to increase the number of rides."
Of course, there's fair food and a local church is selling sandwiches and drinks at the fair.
Inside, everything from a red hot pepper to a home-made bird house to a crocheted blanket are on display, with their first-, second- and third-place ribbons.
