SHELBYVILLE, Tenn. — The American county fair as we know it was essentially invented by a Massachusetts farmer named Elkanah Watson when he tied two Merino sheep to a tree in the public square of Pittsfield, Massachusetts to show his neighbors the breed’s superior wool.

The idea soon caught on in the American South. Before extension services, land-grant university systems, and the modern farm press, the fair was how agricultural knowledge moved. By the late 1800s, the midway, horse racing, and entertainment layers arrived, and the fair became the hybrid it still is — part education, part commerce, part carnival.

Moore County doesn’t enjoy it’s own county fair. The closest we get to it is our Frontier Days celebration. But our surrounding counties do, and Moore County folks are always happy to participate. In fact, it’s a little known secret that the Bedford County Fair happens, in part, because of the dedicated volunteer work of several familiar Lynchburg faces. Jacob Byron, Christine and Karl Pyrdom, and Brandi Smith all sit on the popular Southern Middle Tennessee fair’s board. We imagine they’ll all sleep incredibly well on Sunday. Jack Daniel’s Distillery is also a major sponsor of the event.

The fair kicked off last Sunday but there’s still plenty of cool events happening on Friday and Saturday. Here’s a couple that we think are worth the short drive to check out this weekend:

1 | Home Ec and Ag Exhibits — Granny hobbies are all the rage and you can see the rural arts at their most impressive at a small town county fair. From hand-sewn pillowcases to elaborate quilts to handmade baskets, canned items, and even Lego creation. There’s sure to be a little inspiration for every rural creative. The exhibits will be open Friday from 4-9 p.m. and Saturday from 1-9 p.m.

2 | Shelby Lee Lowe — Lots of Nashville wannabes sing about small town sensibilities but not all of them have actually lived them. Cornersville native and Nashville singer-songwriter Shelby Lee Lowe will bring his authentic country to the Bedford County Fair on Friday night with a live concert beginning at 7 p.m.

3 | The Mini Pull — Truck and tractor pulls are good, old-fashioned southern fun but the Mini Pull at the Bedford County Fair featuring V-8 mini rods, outlaws, and even garden tractors is a hoot. There are also stock classes for kids up to 14 years old. The fun beginning on Friday at 7 p.m.

4 | Antique Tractor Pull — The Antique Tractor Parade at Frontier Days highlighted the weekend and at the fair this weekend, they’ll raise the ante with an Antique Tractor Pull on Saturday at 4 p.m. While you are there, also check out the Antique Tractor and Equipment Exhibit.

5 | The Backseat Driver Competition — We’re not sure who came up with this original idea but it’s about as much fun as can be had at a county fair. Are you great at giving directions or maybe you’re an “opinionated driver”? Then there’s a contest for that. A driver and backseat driver get paired together and attempt to complete a driving course filled with twists, turns, and a few trick tasks. It takes places a 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.

There will also be carnival rides, helicopter rides, the TWRA trailer, livestock shows, a cruise-in, bingo, and so much more. To learn more about the complete schedule, click here. The fairgrounds are located at 2119 Midland Road in Shelbyville. •

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