The 2023 Braxton County Fairs & Festivals Celebration will be held August 1-5 at Holly Gray Park on Airport Road in Sutton. “The Fair Board has been working hard the last several months to provide a family friendly, affordable fair for people to enjoy,” said a spokesperson.
A new attraction for everyone is the addition of Hillbilly Fun Inflatables – a putt-putt course, axe throwing, a carousel and more will be fun for the whole family! All the inflatables are included with the price of admission. On Thursday, Friday and Saturday, you can ride the mechanical bull for $5.
Myers Amusements will be returning to the Braxton County Fair and will provide fun rides for the whole family. Wrist bands are required for the carnival and are included with paid admission. Rides will operate from 6:00 until 10:00 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 6:00 until 11:00 p.m. on Friday. On Saturday, the carnival will be open from noon until 5:00 p.m. and from 6:00 through 11:00 p.m. Food trailers, novelties, and a flea market with a variety of vendors will be available during the Braxton County Fair.
”Family Night” will be Tuesday, August 1st. Fair activities will kick off with American Legion Post 33 conducting the opening ceremony at 5:00 p.m. Mario and Luigi, Bluey and Bingo, and the Story Booth Characters will be at the stage for a meet and greet and photos from 6-8:00 p.m. Moose, from the Sutton Moose Lodge 825 and Bobber the Water Safety Dog are also scheduled to be there. The Best Dressed Livestock Contest is at 7:00 p.m. in the Barn.
Wednesday, August 2nd, is the day for rabbit, poultry, beef cattle and market hog shows at the barn. Livestock shows kick off at 5:00 p.m. On stage, enter your youngsters in the Pretty Baby Contest – registration is at 5:00 p.m. and the contest starts at 5:30 p.m. Age divisions for both boys and girls are 0 to 6 months, 6-12 months, 12-18 months and 18-24 months. Winners will receive a sash and a trophy. Then, it’s off to the races with a Diaper Derby for babies and toddlers from 6-24 months. The winner will receive $50. Registration for the Diaper Derby is at 6:30 p.m. and the first round will start at 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, August 3rd, will feature the Sheep and Goat shows in the barn beginning at 6:00 p.m. Then fairgoers can enter the Talent Show that is slated to begin at 7:00 p.m. Show off your talents alone or with a group – singing, dancing, twirling, playing musical instruments, acting, magic, comedy and other acts are welcome! Rules and entry information can be found here: bit.ly/3r22BzD (Be sure to type that link just as it is with caps and small letters.) Entries for the Talent Show are due July 20. There will be age divisions of 4-12, 13-17 and 18 and over with awards for division winners. Great prizes for the overall winners – 1st place is $400; 2nd place is $200 and 3rd place is $100!
Friday, August 4th, the Braxton County Fair has something for everyone. 4-H and FFA members will sell their livestock projects beginning at 7:00 p.m. It’s a big night on stage with performances from Mrs. Crow and Mr. Echo, and Chad and Dean starting at 7:00 p.m. Cassidy Dickens will take the stage at 9:00 p.m. Cassidy may sound like a familiar name… although she’s based out of Nashville, she has roots in Braxton County. Surrounded by Appalachia’s colorful storytelling, front porch picking and rich vocal harmonies from day one, Cassidy has always been enamored by the power of music to capture fleeting memories and raw emotion. Join us in celebrating her return to perform in Braxton County!
The Friday lineup includes an action-packed Demolition Derby with ATV and side by side races starting at 8:00 p.m. ATV’s will go head-to-head in the races adding to the excitement!
Saturday, August 5th, will provide a full day of fun and entertainment for the whole family. Be sure to check out the Car, Truck, Tractor and Motorcycle Show at 10:00 a.m. Registration for the Car Show starts at 9:00 a.m. Mud Bog registration is from 10:00 a.m. until 12:30 p.m.; driver’s meeting at 12:45 p.m. and then at 1:00 p.m. the races start. We welcome back the rail cars for added excitement at this year’s mud bog. Rules are available on our website: www.braxton countyfairwv.com/motorsports.html
Family fun, “Down on the Farm” is from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. in the Barn. A variety of livestock and agriculture related activities will be going on throughout the afternoon.
Saturday evening’s stage entertainment will begin at 7:30 PM with a performance by Alex Miller. Alex Miller hails from Lancaster, KY and came to the attention of global audiences during American Idol, Season 19. His expressive Country voice (ala Strait or mid-career Haggard) brought early success. Alex’s skill with guitar and lap steel are evident on stage, but he also plays ukulele, bass, banjo, and fiddle. His debut album, MILLER TIME, released in April, displays his broad range of musical influences: Swing, Bluegrass, Country, and Gospel. Alex continues pushing boundaries with his latest single, “When God Made the South,” an edgier, electric-guitar slashed ode to Mississippi mud, lazy Sundays, RC Cola, and Moon Pies.
Capping off Saturday’s events, Noah Thompson takes the stage at 9:00 PM. People pulled for Noah Thompson when the Kentucky-born construction worker couldn’t pull for himself. Some dreams simply seem out of reach when the limitations of growing up in a small town and the responsibilities of a one-year-old named Walker, make superstardom seem distant and meant for someone else. But America believed wholeheartedly in what Thompson couldn’t imagine for himself. The 2022 American Idol winner embodies the spirit of Country music: overcoming
adversity and the odds to achieve widespread acclaim and the hearts of millions. Likeable, humble, funny and clearly talented are a few words that describe Thompson. During his winning season on American Idol judge Luke Bryan summed it up: “You are going to ‘Aw, shucks’ your way to the top.” And then he did.
The 2023 Braxton County Fair will come to a loud and thrilling end with one of the largest fireworks displays in central WV.
There are a limited number of stage front reserved seats available for Saturday, $10 each. So, reserve yours today by calling 304-765-2809. Season tickets are now available at $35 each. You can purchase season tickets until 4:00 PM on August 1st from local Peoples Bank locations in Gassaway and Flatwoods. You can also use PayPal for your season tickets – check out the Season Tickets and Reserved Seating tab on our website: braxton countyfairwv.com The online option for tickets ends at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, July 28. Daily admission is $6 on Tuesday, $8 on Wednesday, $10 for Thursday, $12 Friday and $15 for Saturday.
