About Progress 2016
The titles and rankings seem to come in droves each year.
From health and wealth to education and youth, most Forsyth residents know the county is at the forefront of north Georgia and the state in various factors that help shape quality of life.
These factors — which residents embrace and have come to expect — carry their share of numbers. Indeed, politicians and others are fond of touting such statistics.
With that in mind, the staff of the Forsyth County News contacted government and school officials, business owners and pub-lic safety personnel to compile some interesting and easy-to-read figures from the past year.
Cumming Country Fair and Festival by the numbers
167,827 - Record total attendance
31,002 – Single-day attendance record
21,000 pounds - Pounds of cotton going through the gin
32 bales - Bales of cotton ginned
400 - Average weight in pounds of bale
26 - Number of acts
34 - Chainsaw carvings for auction
40 - Rides
120 - Cable lift buckets
50 - Height in feet of highest lift support pole
1,680 - Length in feet of cable lift
18 - Native American educators
To read the entire Progress 2016 edition, click here.
The Cumming Fairgrounds helps keep local traditions alive.
From its signature event, the Cumming Country Fair & Festival, to the early-1900s heritage village maintained year round, administrator Dave Horton says the venue offers family-oriented fun.
The annual fair, which takes place in October, was the first event at the fairgrounds, starting in 1995 as a six-day event.
The festival has since expanded to 11 days, featuring well-known musical acts, a variety of performance groups and the traditional rides and games galore.
“It’s just a great gathering place for the community,” Horton said. “It’s like a homecoming. You see people you haven’t seen in a year or several years, and you meet a lot of new folks.”
The 19th annual fair in 2013 saw record-breaking numbers. Horton said the event, which drew more than 167,600 people, “smashed” the previous attendance record, set in 2012. That number was about 141,000.
The 2014 fair had a few days of weather concerns, but still posted 154,406 for attendance. The 21st annual fair in 2015 had just one day of rain and posted a new attendance mark at 167,827.
The 2016 fair is slated for Oct. 6-16.
Besides the Cumming Country Fair & Festival, the fairgrounds also provides a wide range of other activities and events throughout the year.
The schedule each year stays about the same, from the fireworks display and steam engine parade in July to the Christmas celebration in December.
The fairgrounds, also puts on an IPRA Championship Rodeo over Labor Day weekend.
The city of Cumming also presents the Taste of Forsyth, which is held on Easter weekend at the fairgrounds. The event offers visitors the chance to sample a wide range of food at a low cost.
The popular event invites restaurants from across the county to share samples of their dishes.
Outside groups also use the fairgrounds venue for charity events, such as Relay for Life, Ride for Kids Motorcycle Ride or other community gatherings, such as church-sponsored car shows.
Each November, the fairgrounds is the site of what is fast becoming one of the largest professional barbecue competitions in the nation.
The National BBQ Cup: Que ‘N’ Cumming was first presented in 2011. From 2012 to ’14, the event grew in size and popularity, with more than 100 professional and 50 amateur teams from across the country competing and about 15,000 spectators attending each November to sample world-class ’cue.
The cup is always held the weekend before Thanksgiving.
The North Georgia Quarter Midget Association plays host to 16 to 17 races for competitors ages 5 to 16, when the fairgrounds isn’t otherwise being used, Horton said.
In July 2013, the site welcomed the association’s QMA Eastern Grands championship, drawing thousands of people. In 2015, the NGQMA held a National USAC race.
The Bill Thomas Raceway at the fairgrounds has held national tournaments in the past, with some former competitors growing up to become NASCAR drivers.
The races, like most of the events at the fairgrounds, Horton said, bring in revenue to the local economy.
Fairgrounds staff members work year round to keep the area well maintained and continue to plan for big events.
The annual fair involves a full year of preparation to bring in a variety of acts and entertainment for the families visiting the fair.