Williamson County Fair delights with fried delicacies, towering rides, family-friendly fun

Franklin's flashiest end-of-summer tradition returned in August, bringing the Williamson County AG Expo Park to life with gargantuan produce products, colorful LED lights and deep-fried delicacies. The event, which runs through Friday (Aug. 13), annually draws thousands of attendees from around the state.

Here's what we experienced Aug. 8 at the fair.

New attractions at Williamson County Fair

New this year is the towering Jekyll and Hyde ride, which combines a swinging arm ride and a drop zone. One rider's wallet flew out of his pocket during a ride, creating a small shower of dollar bills. (A teenager scurried over to the fallen currency and delivered it to the ride operator, presumably so it could be returned to its owner.)

A bundle of cash flies out of a rider's pocket on the Jekyll & Hyde ride at the Williamson County Fair in Franklin, Tenn. Monday, Aug. 8, 2022.
A bundle of cash flies out of a rider's pocket on the Jekyll & Hyde ride at the Williamson County Fair in Franklin, Tenn. Monday, Aug. 8, 2022.

Despite witnessing the incident while they were on the ride — or perhaps because of it — college-age couple Benjamin Quintana and Madeline Minichello said it was their favorite part of the night.

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"It was fun, and you felt safe doing it," Quintana said.

Several novelty acts and curiosities also set up booths at the fair.

Demonstrators from Middle Tennessee Electric shocked spectators by showing what happens when a foil balloon hits a powerline — a burst of bright white sparks. Across the path, families gathered to gawk at everything from a transforming car and a circus act to a rock band belting out Journey classics.

Family traditions

Monday night's crowd skewed younger, with many area high schoolers hoping to create one last memory during the first week of the 2022-23 school year in Williamson County Schools. Parents with younger kids meandered through these groups of teens, many of them recreating longstanding family traditions.

A family poses for a caricature at the Williamson County Fair in Franklin, Tenn. Monday, Aug. 8, 2022.
A family poses for a caricature at the Williamson County Fair in Franklin, Tenn. Monday, Aug. 8, 2022.

At the caricature booth, one couple posed for a caricature by artist Tony Sobota. The moment marked the couple's fourth consecutive cartoonish drawing at the annual event, but the first with a young daughter. The finished picture showed the young family with giant, toothy grins.

Some rides blasted rock music — including "Decode," a 2008 hit from Franklin's own Paramore — to attract thrill-seekers. Others drew younger riders with bright colors and cute animal designs.

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Including tiny tykes getting accustomed to the lively environment at Williamson County Agricultural EXPO Park in Franklin.

Three-year-old Kaiden made a beeline for the Puppy Roll ride almost as soon as he made it into the fair with his chaperones.

Cole Villena covers Williamson County at The Tennessean, part of the USA Today Network — Tennessee. Reach Cole at cvillena@tennessean.com or 615-925-0493. Follow Cole on Twitter at @ColeVillena and on Instagram at @CVinTennessee.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: When is the Williamson County Fair? Franklin's end-of-summer arrives