Poultry, pickin' and alpacas: There's something for everybody at Hamilton County Fair (slideshow)

IF YOU GO• What: The fair is open again today.• When: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.• Getting there: Fairgoers must use shuttles to get to the fair. The shuttles depart all day from Northgate Mall and Middle Valley Recreation Center. Tickets will stop being sold at 4 p.m.• Cost: The bus costs $6 for adults, $4 for children ages 3 to 12, and is free for children under 3. There is no cost to enter the fair.• Today's highlights: Live music all day at the Pickin' Porch, dance performances all day at the Community Stage, horse demonstrations, 4-H auctions

photo Callie Shields, left, and Lola Bundy watch as a duckling slides down a chute into a pool of water.

People showed up in droves Saturday to take in all the sights, sounds and activities at the annual Hamilton County Fair.

Gina Hatler, publicist for the county fair, said this is the 25th year the fair has taken place at its current location in Chester Frost Park, on Dallas Island.

Hatler said one of the special things about the Hamilton County Fair is the lack of something most other fairs have: midways and carnival rides.

"It's very old fashioned," she said. "The idea is it's not technical."

But just because there isn't a midway doesn't mean there's nothing to do. At the fair Saturday, children lined up with their parents for pony rides. There's a petting zoo where people of all ages can pet livestock. There are booths of crafts, snacks and other goodies, as well as demonstrations. And there are several stages where visitors can watch performance groups or listen to live music.

The fun continues today.

Marcia Tanksley, co-owner of Chew Chew Alpacas, said her company has been coming to sell products at the fair for about nine years. She said the county fair is very much about educating the public about farming and livestock.

"That's the big driving force," she said, adding that many people at the fair don't know the difference between alpacas and llamas, for example.

At her booth, which sells alpaca wool products and features two live alpacas, she tries to educate as much as sell her products.

The fair is a big event for kids involved in 4-H, said Keith Bridges, a University of Tennessee Extension agent. He helped oversee the 4-H poultry tent on Saturday. He said kids involved in 4-H brought in their chickens not only to be seen by the public, but also to auction off today.

He said he thinks the fair is a nice event for families.

"I think it's a great fair," he said. "It stands with the traditional aspects of not having rides. That's what makes it so unique."

Hatley said that for many families, she thinks the fair is a tradition more than anything else.

"It is a fall tradition," she said. "A lot of times we get our first crisp mornings around this time. The island itself, it's the only time (families) go out there per year, and it's gorgeous."

Contact staff writer Hannah Smith at hsmith@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6731.

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