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Cleveland County Fair tickets on sale now

Rebecca Sitzes
The Shelby Star
Children fly through the air while riding the Yo-Yo at the Cleveland County Fair.

For the first time in more than two years, the giant Ferris wheel will once again dominate the Shelby skyline, and the scent of roasted corn and funnel cakes will drift from the fairgrounds.

“Everybody’s excited to have the fair back,” said Bobby Jenks, fair manager.

COVID halted the historic nearly 100-year-old tradition, but it will be back this year from Sept. 29 through Oct. 9.

Fair tickets are on sale now, and people can save by buying early.

“To save money, go online and buy tickets now that way you can save on tickets and armbands,” said Jenks. “Gate tickets are $10, $8 if you buy early. The armbands are $20 advance and $25 otherwise.”

Tickets are $8 per adult and $4 for children and seniors 65 and up.

Advance tickets are on sale now at several locations around the county, including Kelly’s Seafood on East Dixon Boulevard, Mountain View Grocery on Casar Road and Kut’n Up hair salon on Fallston Road. People can also visit the fair website and purchase online at clevelandcountyfair.com.

There will also be a new way to buy tickets this year.

Jenks said people can scan QR codes and purchase tickets.

He said the codes can be found at 21 different Family Dollar stores.

“We have a bunch of QR codes out in the Shelby Shopper. Plus we've got posters around town you can scan and get tickets,” he said.

He said there will be around 10 QR codes at fair gates 14, 4 and 1.

“We're trying to get it where everybody can get in the gate easier,” Jenks said.

So far, sales are going well.

“The ticket sales are picking up. They'll get bigger toward the fair. I haven't checked that yet, but it's going well,” Jenks said.

Rhonda Porter said every year, she and co-owner, Shelley Upton, of Kut’n Up hair salon in Fallston sell tickets for the Cleveland County Fair. 

Porter said it’s a personal challenge to see how many she can sell, and she estimated she had sold over 100 armbands so far.

“We do it every year,” Porter said. “We sell a good many tickets. We are right behind Kelly’s Seafood.”

She said they have a total of 300 armbands to sell by the cut-off of Sept. 28, and this year, people need to snap them up before it’s too late.

“They only have so many armbands,” Porter said. “Once those armbands are sold, that's it. The printer is months and months behind. You can't buy armbands at the fair.” 

The salon will be doing a drawing for a gift basket out of all the people who have bought tickets or armbands. The winner will take home a basket with a Kut’n Up T-shirt, shampoo and conditioner, hairspray and a candle.  

Porter said she makes posts on her Facebook page with details on tickets and recently posted a video with information on the drawing.

She also posts on One Man’s Junk and her personal page.

Porter enjoys the challenge and said it is also free advertising for her business and brings people into the salon.