April 27, 2019
Jim Evancho
This years Fair on the Square was welcomed with beautiful weather which led to a great turnout. The Jacksonville Arts Council presented the event that offered a wide variety of vendors, live music, food, and performances.
Mayor Johnny Smith came out to enjoy the Fair on the Square and to support the efforts put out by the Arts Council led by Nancy Gillespie. Mayor Smith enjoyed seeing the community out and about and said hello to anyone that wanted to chat with him.
Calhoun County Commissioner for district 5 (which includes Jacksonville) Lee Patterson came to the event and enjoyed checking out some of the different vendor booths. Commissioner Patterson stated “I love these types of community events, they are great for everyone and I always want to show my full support for them”
Jacksonville City Councilman Coty Galloway also attended the event to see some of the live performances. Councilman Galloway expressed his excitement for this years fair and said “I’m glad we were able to have this event again. We had to cancel it last year because of the tornado’s that hit our city”, he went on to say “It’s great to be getting back to normal”.
City Council President, Sandra Sudduth, and Councilman Jimmy Parris were able to enjoy the atmosphere as they pursued the different vendor tables and entertainment provided by local talent.
The vendors were extremely happy with the turnout and overall event with many stating they were looking forward to the next public event.
Overall the Fair on the Square was a success with a lot of the attendees. Many were seen laughing with other residents, sitting on lawn chairs to watch the performances on the square, and shopping the vendor tables and local shops that were open. Jason Kellner of Kolectic Treasures Antique Market opened his business to attendees that needed to utilize a restroom. Mr. Kellner stated “We will always make ourselves available to the community. This was a great day and we enjoyed it a lot”. Danny Kellner of Hair at the Square Day Spa, withstood the direct sun to cook free hot dogs for anyone that was hungry and also offered a free drawing for prizes the spa.
The next scheduled Arts Council major event is the Christmas Village in November. The Arts Council is excited and looks forward to making the village fun and exciting.
