July 4th Food, Fireworks, And Festivities Are A Month Away
By LYDIA BERGLAR
News Editor
Photo courtesy of Alex McAlpin – Dallas Walker performs at last year’s 1945 Fair. The day drew about 5,900 visitors to Jenkins Park, and Nathan Wooten anticipates more attendees this year.
July 4th is a month away, which means it’s time to get excited for Dade County’s annual Independence Day celebration. The 1945 Fair will fill Jenkins Park to the brim with activities and contests, cars and music, vendors and tempting food offerings. As always, the event is free for everyone—just be sure to bring money if you want to sample the food truck treats or purchase items from the vendors.
The planning committee has had years to figure out what activities work well, so this year’s lineup is about the same as last year’s. Check out the complete schedule and sign up for competitions online at 1945fair.com.
Some of the highlights include the crowning of the 2025 Fair Queen, the car show, softball and cornhole tournaments, eating competitions, contests (like the Redneck Games and hairy leg contest), musical guests, the Kids Zone, and fireworks. The softball tournament begins at 9 a.m., the opening ceremonies and crowning of the queen kick off the fair at noon, and the day wraps up with fireworks around 9:30 p.m.
For those who want to escape the heat, several activities are held inside the Trenton Civic Center: pie judging, the talent show, the cake walk, and bingo.
The youngest fairgoers might enjoy the duck race, candy scramble, and Kids Zone (featuring a water slide, a bubble machine, pony rides, and miniature cows). Plus, the City of Trenton lets kids swim for free in the city pool during the fair.
Nathan Wooten (founder of the 1945 Fair) noted that the talent show and car show have steadily grown in popularity. Last year, 20 contestants entered the talent show, and 300 cars were on display. He said that people have asked about the possibility of adding carnival rides, but Jenkins Park isn’t the spot for rides.
This year’s music lineup is Southwind Bluegrass, Matt Hicks, The Chris McDaniel Band, and Exile. Southwind has played the fair every year, and Matt Hicks’ name is spreading throughout the tri-state area. Chris McDaniel first gained fame as a founding member of Confederate Railroad, and Exile is known for their transition from soft rock/pop to country music.
Wooten thinks that Exile will draw a large crowd this year. Thanks to the Placer.ai software purchased by the Industrial Development Authority, we know that roughly 5,900 people visited Jenkins Park on July 4, 2024. (Circle K also told Wooten that it was their best day of business last year). With that software, we’ll be able to tell how many come through the park this year.
For three years running, the fair’s budget has been about $30,000. Wooten reported that about half of that pays for the headlining band, and about $5,000 goes toward fireworks. The rest covers the other bands, awards, signage, etc.
He said, “The hard part is getting the headliner booked, because the people we really want are really expensive.” Wooten has looked at how much Randy Owen (of Alabama), The Oak Ridge Boys, Clint Black, and Garth Brooks cost. Musicians like these are popular requests, but Wooten tells locals, “If you’ve got a half million dollars for sponsorship money, I can get ’em.”
Here are a few details that fairgoers should be aware of: First, no pets are allowed. Wooten reported that several years ago, a child was bit by a dog at the fair. Even though dogs have been banned from the fair for years now, there continue to be problems with dog fights. Wooten reminds everyone that even the best behaved dogs can be triggered by fireworks or large crowds.
Photo courtesy of Alex McAlpin – With a wide array of activities on the schedule, the 1945 Fair offers something for all ages.
As for weather, the fair has yet to have a full day of bad weather. Wooten said that 15-minute afternoon showers are normal in July, but he’s glad the fair hasn’t yet had to be cancelled. “I know it’s going to happen some year,” he said, but hopefully it won’t be this year.
Parking is another detail that the planning committee continues to work on each year. Ingles’ parking lot was overrun last year, so the fair is limiting parking to Jenkins Park, the flea market, the town square, the Citizens Bank and Trust lot, and the Southern Realty lot. Look for signs denoting where you can park, and a shuttle will drive through these lots every ten minutes or so to pick up anyone who needs a ride.
As always, the success of the fair comes down to a tremendous effort from many volunteers and the support of many sponsors. The planning committee is made up of about 20 people who make up a well-oiled machine, but the team is always looking for more help the day of and day after.
By mid-May, 20 sponsors had committed and more were anticipated to sign up, but the fair is always looking for more each year. The only reason the event is free is because of sponsors, so Wooten and the team send a big thank you to all sponsors and volunteers.
