SEVIER COUNTY, Tenn. — For Tyler Williams, the end of summer isn't complete without the Sevier County Fair. He said he's been attending it for the past 36 years.
While most East Tennessee fairs were canceled because of COVID-19, the Sevier County Fair welcomed visitors all week long. Williams said he was very glad they decided to move forward with the event.
"It's awesome. Chicken quesadillas are great, a lot of good rides, a lot of good animals to see, the kids love it," Williams said. "We're coming to the fair no matter what. I think we'll be just fine."
His son, Mason, was a bit more hesitant about the large crowds.
"It's been really fun this year and there's a lot of people here," he said. "I'm kinda worried about the virus, but it's not too bad."
This year's fair includes rides, games, animals and hand sanitizing stations. Organizers said that masks are provided for volunteers and temperatures are taken before each shift.
Many attendees were neither wearing masks nor social distancing near the attractions or food options Saturday. Still, Holly Clark said she felt safe with all the precautions taken.
"We're outside, people are social distancing, the fair's doing an amazing job of keeping everybody safe," Clark said. "There are hand sanitizing stations everywhere."
She brought her 10-month-old nephew Riley to the fair for the first time.
"We thought he needed to come out here and see the lights and see all the fun things and play with the animals and enjoy being out here," she said. "We're having a great time ... you can't go wrong with the fair food. It's deep-fried southern goodness."
Sevier County has made a lot of progress in the fight against COVID-19 since its mask mandate went into effect. As of Sept. 5, it had the lowest 14-day-average of new cases since mid-June.
But health experts have cautioned that large gatherings, especially ones with little social distancing or masks, could lead to another spike after the holiday weekend.