The Putnam County Fair returns this weekend, and this year guests have the chance to see a chart-topping country music act for just the cost of admission.
Country music singer Luke Combs will perform Sunday at the fair, which takes place July 8-15 in Eleanor. Organizers hope Combs, whose song "Hurricane" reached the No. 1 spot on the country music charts in May, will be a big draw for the annual event.
For $10, guests can enjoy the fair's concerts, including Combs' show, fair exhibits and carnival rides.
"We contracted Luke Combs back in October. Then a few weeks he ago he had the No. 1 song in the nation. And four weeks ago or so he had the No. 1 album in the nation," said Derek Casto, president of the Putnam County Fair. "In a year, who knows what you'd pay to see Luke Combs play."
Combs is set to perform at 8:30 p.m. Sunday at the amphitheater at the fairgrounds.
Popular attractions like the demolition derby, 4-H and FFA livestock shows, and the truck and tractor pull will also return to the fair this year.
The annual 4-H and FFA livestock auction will take place at 6 p.m. July 14, another event that typically draws a crowd, Casto said.
FFA and 4-H students sell their winning livestock at the auction - many putting the money to a good cause, Casto said.
"Many of those kids use that money for school. To pay their tuition and things like that," Casto said.
Casto said organizers are also looking forward to performances by Brunon Blaszak's Royal Bengal Tigers.
The tigers will perform shows at 7 and 9 p.m. July 11-14, and shows at 1, 7 and 9 p.m. July 15.
Casto, other members of the fair board and a team of about 50 volunteers have been working for months to prepare for the annual event.
The Putnam County Fair has been a tradition in the county since 1979 when it was first incorporated. The fair has been held in July ever since.
With no county fair in Kanawha County, Casto said the Putnam County Fair usually draws in a large crowd from the surrounding areas. Nearly 30,000 people are expected to attend the fair this year.
Gates to the Putnam County Fair will be open from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday, from 4 to 11 p.m. Monday-Friday, and from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, July 15.
Admission is $10 per person and parking is $1. The Putnam County fairgrounds are located on Charleston Road in Eleanor.
For more information, including directions and a complete schedule of events, visit http://putnamcountyfairwv.com or like Putnam County Fair on Facebook.
Reach Carlee Lammers at Carlee.Lammers@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-1230 or follow @CarleeLammers on Twitter.