A brand-new event has been added to the fair to promote one of Fayette County’s longstanding traditions – harness racing.
The “Night at the Races” is a partnership between the Fayette County Agricultural Society, Fayette County Chamber of Commerce, and Fayette County Travel & Tourism, that seeks to promote this grand tradition by spotlighting harness racing on Wednesday night of the Fayette County Fair.
“The Chamber and Travel & Tourism will have 100 free admission tickets to the fair that we will give away to the public. These tickets will be for Wednesday, July 19 only, after 4 p.m. and rides are not included,” said Chamber President Whitney Gentry. “Also, each of the 10 sponsors of the event will have 50 tickets available to the public.”
The sponsors include: The Print Shop, Jim Van Dyke’s Automotive and Tire Center, Fayette County Memorial Hospital, Awesome Real Estate, The Ranch of Opportunity, ERA Martin Associates Real Estate, Willis Agency/Neil Coleman Insurance, LLC, Jason Langley Realty & Auctioneers, Merchants National Bank, and Fayette Carpet.
The Wednesday Fayette County Fair tickets are now available, first-come first-serve, at these businesses. Tickets can also be claimed at the Chamber of Commerce office, 206 E. Court St., or the Travel & Tourism office, 101 E. East St., in Washington C.H.
Anyone who enters the McDonald’s Grandstand Wednesday for the Signature Series Harness Racing will receive a raffle ticket. The event will feature eight races and purses up to nearly $10,000 for a few of the races. Post-time is 5 p.m.
At the end of each race, drawings will be held for prizes, including: a Netbook, a Yeti cooler, prepaid Visa cards, a television, Amazon Echoes, and other electronics and camping items. In order to win a prize with your raffle ticket, you must be present at the grandstand, Gentry said.
“This type of event has been done in other counties and has drawn interest,” said Gentry. “The Ag Society approached the Chamber and Travel & Tourism to see if we’d be interested, and we certainly were. This is our first-ever Night at the Races and we’re excited to see what kind of turnout we will have. This is a great way to bring the community together and promote the harness racing industry, which has been a major contributor to Fayette County throughout the years.”
