Obion County Fair to attract thousands this week

OBION COUNTY, Tenn. — A tradition since the 1930s is back in swing, kicking off fair season for West Tennessee.

“The Obion County Fair is the single largest event in Obion County held every year, and it brings everybody together,” said Blake Law, vice president of the fair board.

Organizers say this year’s theme is “make, grow it, show it” to celebrate the county’s agriculture. This week, 100,000 people will make their way to the fair.

“From livestock shows to concerts, to beauty pageants, motorized events, from tractor pulls to demolition derby commercial exhibits, we have pretty much something for everyone,” Laws said.

But Ferris wheels and derbies aren’t all there is to this fair. Vendors line three buildings bringing many people home, including Dalena Benavente.

“People just wanted me to tell the story over and over and over and over,” said Benavent, author of “Asian Girl in a Southern World.” And I thought I’d just combine the two because they wanted to eat my food, which was this weird version of Southern and Filipino cooking which they had never had before, and they wanted to hear the story.”

She grew up in Obion County but lives in California. She came back home to promote her new cookbook sharing stories and recipes she learned while growing up in West Tennessee.

“As a kid growing up, I would get ready to go to the fair with a lot of excitement,” she said. “And this year coming to the fair, it was a different emotion behind it. It was ‘I hope people care. I hope people come to see me,’ and the response has been phenomenal.”

If you would like to learn more about her book and story, you can check out her website.

The fair lasts until Saturday. For admission prices and events, check out the Obion County Fair’s website.