From left, Kinzley Brown, Paizley Brown, Marlin Hartley and Kyle Hartley compete in a watermelon eating contest at the Wirt County Fair Saturday afternoon. (Photo by Gwen Sour)

ELIZABETH — The Wirt County Fair closed out its 65th year Saturday with a full day of contests, live music, fireworks and a celebration of community tradition.

“This is our last day this year, and it’s an action-packed day,” said Donald Sheppard, vice president of the Wirt County Fair Association. “Something for everyone, from just-born to 92.”

Events on the main stage included a pretty baby contest, a watermelon-eating competition, skillet throwing, hay bale tossing, nail driving and a kiddie pedal pull. Down at the track, mud bog racing entertained crowds, while the Wild Ride Band took the stage in the evening ahead of the fireworks finale.

For current Baltimore resident Laura McCree, it was her first time attending in more than a decade.

“I grew up coming here every summer, and it’s exactly how I remember it — the smells, the sounds, the people you run into you haven’t seen in years,” she said. “I’m already planning to come back next year.”

From left, Aliyah and Emmy McCroskey ride the swings at the Wirt County Fair Saturday afternoon. (Photo by Gwen Sour)

In the barns, the fair also hosted the Children’s Business Fair, featuring nearly 50 young entrepreneurs operating 39 kid-run businesses. The program, now in its eighth year, is funded by a grant from the Acton Academy in Texas.

“These are going to be our future business leaders,” said Melissa Moss, who oversees the event. “It’s a good opportunity for them to come up with an idea, create a product, and handle all the setup, sales and money on their own. It’s about building real-life skills.”

The fair drew visitors from across Wirt County and surrounding areas, with Sheppard estimating around 5,000 people in attendance over the weekend. Second Vice President Debbie Hennen said it feels like a “big family reunion” each year, with locals returning to reconnect and support 4-H, FFA and community homemakers.

Inside the exhibit and dining halls, fairgoers could browse canned goods, baked items, and traditional crafts — staples of what organizers call a “traditional county fair.”

“We pitch it as your traditional county fair,” Sheppard said. “It’s something for everyone.”

Attendees to the Wirt County Fair enjoyed carnival rides Saturday afternoon. (Photo by Gwen Sour)

Gwen Sour can be reached at gsour@newsandsentinel.com.

Trucks competed in mud bogging at the Wirt County Fair. (Photo by Gwen Sour)