As the Wilson County Fair-Tennessee State Fair continues this week, volunteers are hard at work across the fairgrounds in Lebanon.
During the opening ceremonies last Thursday, Wilson County Fair-Tennessee State Fair president Randall Clemons said around 2,500 volunteers are helping the fair take place in Lebanon.
Jeff and Lisa Dickson are two of those volunteers, stationed at the information booth just outside the Pick Tennessee Experience Building on Monday night. The pair has been volunteering at the Wilson County Fair-Tennessee State Fair for around 20 years.
鈥淢y wife鈥檚 brother-in-law, Hale Moss, was really involved out here and so was her sister,鈥 Jeff Dickson said. 鈥淭hey got us volunteering, if you will. It started really simply. Can you come out and help with this? Can you help with that? Then the next thing you know, you鈥檙e out here the whole time of the fair.鈥
While Jeff and Lisa Dickson are retired now, they used to come straight from work to volunteer at the fairgrounds.
Since starting to volunteer with the fair, the Dicksons have done a little bit of everything around the fairgrounds.
鈥淪he worked with the fair youth board,鈥 Jeff Dickson said. 鈥淚鈥檝e done some stuff with Fiddlers Grove. We鈥檝e probably worked with most of the committees out here at some point. We鈥檝e even helped park cars in the old days, gotcha parades. Youth board.鈥
The whole Dickson family has been involved in the fair for years.
鈥淥ur kids started when they were really, really young,鈥 Lisa Dickson said. 鈥淢y son was probably eight or 10 years old and he鈥檇 ride a golf cart around. My daughter was Fairest of the Fair one year. We鈥檝e always shown sheep.鈥
Like the Dicksons, Jackie and Gary Webb started volunteering at the fair because of a friend.
鈥淲e鈥檙e both retired,鈥 Gary Webb said. 鈥淲e both feel like it鈥檚 time for us to give back somehow, volunteer to do something.鈥
The Webbs have been volunteering for a couple of years, and Gary Webb said that it feels good to be a part of what鈥檚 going on.
鈥淚 think giving back is important, and this is one of the ways that we can give back,鈥 Jackie Webb said.
While they鈥檙e volunteering, Gary and Jackie Webb also enjoy experiencing elements of the fair, like the Made in Tennessee building where they鈥檙e volunteering this year.
鈥淚 just enjoy walking around, especially in Fiddlers Grove,鈥 Jackie Webb said. 鈥淚 like walking up and down the aisles and looking at the different booths that they have and the different rides. I just like watching people have a good time.鈥
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