Rowan County Fair — Local services in Salisbury

Summary: highly recommend this festival if you like taking a long road trip in which you don’t have to drive but just want to sit in stand still traffic. Next year they’ll call sparklers fireworks. I’m sure some people had fun. I’m sure some little bitty kids thought the light show was the bees knees. I just entertained myself reading the people of Walmart book IRL (aka people watched). Made the best of it but Rowan county please listen up: your people deserve better. Need: more police presence as the traffic, parking, and pedestrian crossings were more than atrocious. Spent as much time in lines as we did at the fair itself. Actually lines were all we did all night. Need: limit the number of tickets sold! I cannot stress this enough. It was the biggest crowd for the smallest fair that I have ever attended, worldwide. For instance, a Half hour for a food truck line only to be turned away after that half hour due to the food truck being overwhelmed. This was not just one food truck. It was not the food trucks’ faults. There were several of them having to react that way. Just TOO many people and zero crowd control employees or volunteers. Again I say, cap those ticket sales! Restroom lines so long there was nearly a riot. Also you could put in more porta potties. More issues: I counted five hot air balloons. That’s hardly a hot air balloon festival. You can get more of them out there and actually have some of them fly or go more than 6 ft off the ground. Since all we did was stand in long lines (&drive in long lines too) all night, I talked to a lot of people. There were many complaints about the cost of the vip balloon ride tickets because all they do is barely lift off the ground and back down. It would probably thrill a 6 year old but that’s about it. And that clown balloon scared me. I couldn’t look at him. What happened to mister sunshine balloon in the advertising? Live band was just a DJ. So not really live music as advertised. Laser light show was the cherry on top for sure. We waited around for that and I mean waited as there were no activities to do besides wait in lines for food & bathroom or stand there. Nothing else was set up for games or anything. No fair games, no beautiful hot air balloons taking off into the sunset, no band performances to watch, nothing. When the laser light show started, we laughed so hard because of course it was put on using those home kit laser lights , you know those lights on a tripod stand that can be raised 5 or 6 feet…..like you’d use at a birthday party, yeah that was the light show. Obviously at that point we left. And do better on beer. Literally ONE alcoholic beverage tent in the entire place. Highlights of the evening: Rowan county ladies did not disappoint. The jokes and camaraderie in the half hour + bathroom line had me thoroughly entertained . Well done my fellow miserably uncomfortable females. Cracking me up as we all do the pee-pee dance together was probably quite risky but dang y’all are a good time. Dollar General. Dear Dollar General Store employees working the November 2 evening shift, thank you thank you thank you. You were there to kindly let me use the bathroom after nearly an hour waiting in traffic and that was after driving the almost hour from Charlotte. Wasn’t expecting that long of a line so I hadn’t refrained from sipping water in the car ride. You saved the other cars in the ridiculously long lines (with no police presence to regulate traffic) from seeing a big full moon. More highlights: Mac & cheese bites . Boneless buffalo wings. Spaten Octoberfest. The glow light salesman who trapped me in a Trump must win rant for 15 minutes. Definitely my own partner who kept me company and laughing all evening despite the disappointment of the festival. The weather. Great time of year to be outside all night. Leaving there at 9:15 so as to beat the crowds and traffic, since they were all gawking at the...

I got a lot to say. The blatant disrespect and lack of inclusion for black people that paid their hard earned money just as everyone else, is apparent as soon as you walk through the doors to get to the fairground. The fact that the county thought it would be a wonderful idea to accept someone's application to set up a stand that displayed and sold confederate flag paraphernalia is beyond me. They call it "heritage" but we call it racist and offensive. The fact that that flag literally represents them not wanting us free and the fact that they believe that it is right or necessary for us to be enslaved, chained and brutalized is why we have a problem with that flag. People who support this flag see black people as property and cattle, not equals. Lets be honest. And the fairground is suppose to be a place to bring our children, have fun and enjoy ourselves and we cant even do that without being reminded of it and the "we dont want you here" looks and stares doesnt make it any better. Black people you know what Im talking about. What did we ever do to be so hated so much? But you know what, Im not surprised one bit. This town is known for its racial injustices and abuse towards the darker skinned folk. Salisbury willingly participated in the lynchings and torment of black people and thats the "heritage" or history they fight to keep alive. Its disgusting. I will not be spending my money here next year or any...

I was just one of MANY Chopper Jockeys that attended the 23rd SMOKE OUT!!! Salisbury, and Rowan County in particular, welcomed us with open arms and plenty of activities to keep us occupied. Food vendors were abundant with BBQ and the Shaved Ice being a nice treat. Roadside Marty was a Master with the Microphone as is his legacy. Speaking of Legacy, the Hall of Legends display was OUTSTANDING! Those builders showed off their works of ART and Creativity. Plus, the Ride in Motorcycle show was SO fun with a fantastic display of original ideas and fabrication skills. With some Triumphs, and some B.M.W.s and some examples of Japanese cycles, and of course some Harley's, I ran across an Electric motorcycle that was amazing and unique and very cool too. The vibe of the whole event was very friendly, and fun, and I personally can't wait until the next SMOKE OUT event is open for attendance! To Chris and Heather, your involvement with this much loved motorcycle event is SO much appreciated and Bless you both for your contributions to keep it going. All I can do is promise to keep coming out and attending the SMOKE OUT event, and bringing as many friends as I can. You two are THE...