The upcoming Clinton Square Fair is poised to be the largest in terms of participation in the 32 years since its inception, which organizers said also bodes well for anticipated attendance for what has annually been the biggest event in Clinton each year, hosting thousands every October.
“We have 100 partners and vendors,” said Clinton Planning director Mary Rose, who also serves as the Clinton Main Street Program manager. “That’s officially the most ever. We have 90 vendors registered right now.”
In addition to the vendors which make up the majority of that 100 figure, the number also encompasses the partners who team up with the Clinton Main Street Program. They include the Sampson Arts Council, the Sampson County History Museum, Sampson County Cooperative Extension, the Ol’ Lightnin’ Rods Car Club, the Clinton-Sampson Chamber of Commerce, Sampson County Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program, Sampson County Substance Abuse Coalition and the City of Clinton.
The 32nd Annual Clinton Square Fair, held in conjunction with the 25th Annual Barbecue Cook-off, will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12. More than three decades in, a rebranding from street fair to square fair has also seen a wider net cast in marketing Clinton and its staple event.
“The Clinton Main Street Program developed the new brand in early 2019 and has expanded our Downtown Clinton billboard program to include for the first time, an I-40, Hwy 24 West, and the recently added billboard off Robeson Street in Fayetteville,” said Rose.
She cited that advertising campaign as serving as a catalyst for a new wave of visitors to Clinton.
“Now that Highway 24 (expansion) is complete to Clinton, we really wanted to have a billboard in Fayetteville to spotlight Clinton as a destination,” Rose remarked. She said parking around Clinton might be a challenge — as there is no shuttle service from an events center as some others have — but is confident that those coming into town will find their way downtown.
Activities start early Saturday, with barbecue judging at 8 a.m.
The square fair will feature free children’s rides as well as a variety of local entertainment, handmade crafts, and other non-profit and business exhibitors. The main stage, which will be located on Main Street, will have a full slate of entertainment from dancers to vocal groups.
Partners, from the Sampson County Cooperative Extension to the Sampson County History Museum, will host exhibitions from the downtown area to the museum grounds off Lisbon Street. The Sampson Arts Council will also once again host its popular arts and crafts demonstrations and activities. For the first time, the Sampson County Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program will be holding their annual health fair in the Clinton City Hall Auditorium.
Rose said she is excited to see people in the downtown, which has seen a great deal of revamp in recent years as local Main Street committees strive to incorporate art, beautification and diverse merchants into the landscape. DASH Way, located just off Lisbon Street beside Powell’s Insurance, is the most recent.
Made possible through donations by the Downtown Dash Committee, it has seen plantings by the Sampson County Master Gardeners, as well as the installation of several murals by artist Sarah Rushing.
Just the other day, Rose went into Simply NC and talked with three women who decided to take a meet up for a day trip in Clinton. They were from Jacksonville, Maysville and New Bern.
“We are excited to attract more visitors to Downtown Clinton and continue to create art and other activities which will make Downtown Clinton an attractive destination for visitors,” said Rose. “We want to be able to tap into larger markets and truly make Clinton a destination.”
