'The family we've become': The people behind the fair's entertainment

For more than 30 years, Aaron Hamilton has worked with teams behind the scenes to make sure the main stage acts were the highlight of the yearly Appalachian Fair. Hamilton started his work for the fair before he graduated high school, working alongside his father who regularly volunteered with the Gray Ruritan concession stand. "I would be around the fairgrounds when I was a kid while he was doing that. And then after high school, the current manager at the time was looking for people to work the main stage as stage hands," Hamilton said. And the rest is history. Hamilton said he's worked with the fair since being hired on as a stage hand in 1992. In 2007, he began serving on the Appalachian Fair Association board. Now, he serves as Vice President of Entertainment for the fair. Hamilton works with the fair's entertainment committee to select artists and programs for the week-long event. The work to seek out and secure contracts for the fair's various entertainment acts is a year-round endeavor, he said. "As soon as the fair's over, we'll start working on next year's entertainment, as far as trying to book acts and things like that," Hamilton said. "As we get those booked, I'll help review contracts and things like that to make sure that we have what the entertainers need." After booking the acts, Hamilton coordinates with the fair's production company, and hires and trains a team of six to 10 stage hands to make sure everything falls into place come opening day. When asked if he could say how much time he spends over the course of a year planning entertainment for the fair, Hamilton said "I wish I knew." "For me, I do a lot of thinking about it all the time," he said. The hard work is worth it for the community it serves, Hamilton said. "It's a community event and we really want the community, and surrounding communities as well, to have a nice family-oriented event to be a part of," he said. A team Hamilton calls "family," is another perk of the job too. "We've [Hamilton and his team] become friends over the years and it's kind of a family reunion," he said. "It's all about the family that we've become in doing this." Thanks to Hamilton and his team, a new musical group or artist will take the main stage at 8 p.m. nearly every night of the fair, Aug. 22 through Aug. 29. The act lineup is as follows: Saturday, Aug. 22: CAIN Monday, Aug. 24: Crowder Tuesday, Aug. 23: Lonestar Wednesday, Aug. 26: Corey Kent Thursday, Aug. 27: Gabby Barrett Friday, Aug. 28: Kameron Marlowe Saturday, Aug. 29: Ashley Cooke Tickets to the main stage acts are purchased separately from fair admission tickets. Those interested can visit https://www.appalachianfair.com/.