Kiln, Mississippi (WGNO) – Old fashioned fun is about to shift into high gear in Hancock County — for the fourth year in a row, the 75-acres of fairgrounds in Kiln will be welcoming carnival rides, rodeo fans and all kinds of entertainment.
The four-day event is a boost for the local economy and it’s a bargain for fair-goers: Admission is free for everyone on Wednesday and Thursday, just $5 for adults on Friday, and $10 on Saturday. The Saturday night ticket price includes two top country music acts: John Anderson and Joe Diffie.
The state-of-the-art Hancock County Arena hosts equine and livestock competitions year-round, but the arena’s biggest event is, by far, the fair.
“It’s such a nice place you know we’ve upgraded some of the things that we have here. We have a new sound system, we have lasers to mark the barrel patterns which makes it a lot easier,” says Kevin Ladner, Hancock County’s recreation director.
The very first Hancock County Fair happened in 1970, in Bay St. Louis.
The tradition disappeared for a while for various reasons — but now it’s back and more exciting than ever.
People around the region are thrilled about the resurrection of the fair, especially RV owners — there are onsite hookups at the fairgrounds.
“The kids will get a chance to show their livestock, show their animals, and that’s something that’s been going on for years so we try to get back to our roots,” says Ladner, who also is the vice president of the fair committee.