Patriot Day Honors Military Personnel
In keeping with the 2008 theme, “A Red, White and Blue Ribbon Fair,” area military personnel will be honored with a Patriot Day celebration sponsored by Tennessee Commerce Bank and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) on Saturday, August 9th at the 2008 Williamson County Fair presented by Tractor Supply Company.
Planned activities for Patriot Day include musical tributes and a fly over by the 118th Air Wing of the Tennessee Air National Guard at 1:00pm.
Stan Tyson, Patriot Day event coordinator, says, “We wanted to pay tribute to all of those men and women in our area who have served or are serving their country.” Active duty personnel and veterans, including members of the Tennessee Air and Army National Guard
will be admitted free to the fair on Patriot Day. Families of deployed troops from the Delta and Echo Companies at Fort Campbell will be special guests. “These battalions are currently deployed to Iraq,” says Tyson, “and all organic units are scheduled to return December of this year. The families of these troops will be provided with free transportation to the fair (from their respective adopted cities in Franklin and Brentwood) along with free general admission.”
The Williamson County Community Band kicks off the free Patriot Day entertainment with concerts at 10:00am and 1:00pm in the main arena. An open arm wrestling tournament will be held in the Tennessee Commerce Bank booth at 10:00am. The entry fee is $10, and proceeds from the arm wrestling event will benefit veterans at the Ft. Campbell Fisher House. At noon, award-winning yodeler and Franklin, Tennessee resident, Taylor Ware will emcee the “Yodel On” contest on the main stage in the arena.
Contestants will yodel for cash prizes of $200 (first prize), $50 (second place) and $25 (third place). Patriot Day will culminate with an evening musical tribute at 7:00pm in the main arena by the Tune Town Show Chorus and the Music City Chorus.
The 2008 fair offers convenient, free on-site parking and shuttle buses to the main gate provided by Nissan North America. Regular admission to the fair is $5 in advance, $6 at the gate. Children ages 6 – 12 are $2 in advance, $3 at the gate. Children ages 5 and under are free. Advance tickets are on sale at ten Middle Tennessee Tractor Supply Company locations and twenty area Daily’s convenience stores through the end of the fair. Nine-day general admission passes are available (at the gate only) for $30 for adults and $15 for children ages 6-12.
Complete fair guides containing descriptions of fair events, shows, rides, entertainment and exhibits are available at the Ag Expo Park, the Williamson County Mayor’s office, County Recreation Centers and the Williamson County Public Library and community branches. For more information about the 2008 Williamson County Fair presented by Tractor Supply Company visit www.williamsoncountyfair.org, or call (615)794-4FUN.
