The Little Debbie Hamilton County Fair rolls into Sale Creek next week for a three-day run packed with rodeo action, lumberjack competitions, pig races and live music. Gates open Friday at 5 p.m. and close Sunday at 7 p.m. at McDonald Farm, a sprawling new setting for a fair that hasn't been held in years.
According to Chattanooga Pulse, the fair returns to McDonald Farm at 16705 Coulterville Road, running Friday, Nov. 6 through Sunday, Nov. 8. It marks the first Hamilton County Fair in several years, after the event was paused for three years beginning in 2020 due to COVID and back-to-back severe weather seasons, the outlet reports. As 6AM City notes, the revived fair brings three days of entertainment to the county.
The new venue is no small plot of land. The fair's official site describes the debut location as the breathtaking 2,100-acre McDonald Farm, per hamiltontnfair.com. Little Debbie is the fair's title sponsor, the site notes, and service animals are welcome, though visitors are asked to leave pets at home.
Rodeo, Lumberjacks and Pig Races Headline the Action
Friday and Saturday bring the Kubota of Chattanooga Rodeo, with Saturday and Sunday reserved for lumberjack shows and pig races, the Pulse's report states. The rodeo program includes bull riding, barrel racing, saddle bronc and bareback bronc riding, steer wrestling, team roping and mutton bustin', according to the fair's events page. The lumberjack competitions get just as physical, featuring log rolling, underhand chopping, springboard chopping, standing block chop, crosscut sawing, axe throwing and a dragster chainsaw competition, per the same page.
Beyond the big-ticket shows, the fair includes carnival rides, agricultural exhibits, blue-ribbon competitions and Hamilton County's pie-eating contest, the station's report notes. More than 20 food vendors will be on-site, with food purchases and midway games counted as additional expenses beyond admission. A fireworks show is set to close out Saturday night, 6AM City reports.
Country Music Lineup Spans the Weekend
Live music runs throughout the fair. On Saturday, Nov. 7, Brandon Davis takes the stage at 5:45 p.m., followed by Rodney Atkins, per the same account. Sunday's bill features Amber Carrington performing at 3:15 p.m., followed by David Leonard.
Ticket Prices and Admission Details
Advance three-day passes cost $16 for adults and $14 for youth, while single-day advance passes run $10 for youth and $12 for adults, the outlet notes. Once the fair opens, a weekend adult pass jumps to $20. Children 10 and under get in free, and parking is free for all ticket holders. 6AM City adds that single-day tickets and three-day passes are already on sale, ranging from $12 to $18 after fees, and that seniors 65 and older, active military members, veterans, first responders and teachers can get discounted tickets at the gate with valid ID.
Fairgoers are advised to buy tickets in advance and check the full schedule before heading out, according to 6AM City. With rides, rodeo events, fireworks and a full slate of country performers packed into three days, organizers are betting that Sale Creek's new fairgrounds can deliver the kind of family-friendly weekend Hamilton County hasn't seen in years.
