Gay fair gay ga
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But today, it’s tourism that is the main contributor to the town’s economy.
Gay, Georgia is a quiet hamlet of less that 150 residents ‚ mainly comprised of retirees who seek a quiet, simple lifestyle.
The festival is a chance to discover over 300 unique, skilled artisans and one-of-a-kind crafts and antiques.
HISTORY
In 1972 the Gay family created an “invitation only” antiques, art, and craft festival to help showcase Meriwether County and its talent.
In 2020, the Summerour family acquired the fair and grounds to preserve, restore and continue the fair for future generations. The Georgia Tourism Foundation honored The Cotton Pickin’ Fair as a Founding Producer of Distinction, and the Southeast Tourism Society has selected The Cotton Pickin’ Fair as a Top Twenty Event. The seed would later go on to cottonseed oil mills in Macon, Rome, and Atlanta.
Since then, the fair has been held on the first weekend of May and October every year, providing an opportunity for arts and crafts, live music and food centered around the town’s antiques business and agricultural roots. J.R. Gay was an eligible bachelor, so he often used the warehouse as a ballroom to host social events in thriving Gay, Georgia.
The rope drawn freight elevator still works to this day.
Built to house J.R. Gay & Company, the 1911 Building is a 3-story, 8-room apartment and a small warehouse. While the economic influence from the fairs is great, Gay doesn’t sit back on its laurels. The Trust’s involvement is limited to listing it on our Places in Peril list to bring awareness to it.
Images by Halston Pitman & Walter Sippel | MotorSportMedia and Summerour & Associates Architects
The Cotton Fair has been a staple in the community of Gay, Georgia for over 50 years.
The public is drawn to the rustic setting of the 1891 plantation house, its warehouse, and old cotton gin. Just beside the 1911 Building sits the Blacksmith Shop, which originally held the Delco Battery Plant that provided 28-volt DC electricity to the town of Gay during the very early part of the 20th Century.
The W.
F. Gay 1891 House was built by the town’s namesake, William Franklin Gay, in 1891. However, four days a year the town comes alive with thousands of visitors who come to enjoy the now famed Cotton Pickin’ Fair.
Held on the first weekend in May and October, the fair brings more than 300 exhibitors who sell their arts and crafts to ready shoppers.
Once there, fair goers enjoy an abundance of traditional Southern food and live entertainment.
Georgia Marketplace
A perfect complement to the Cotton Pickin’ Fair is right across the street‚ at the Great Gay, Georgia Marketplace. While the economic influence from the fairs is great, Gay doesn’t sit back on its laurels.
With no prior effort to properly preserve the buildings, there is potential for deterioration and damage to the grounds in the off-season. Judge W.F. Gay was appointed to serve as the town’s first postmaster in 1886 and was appointed as mayor when the Town of Gay incorporated in 1906. Gay began to expand its agricultural holdings when large landowners began to grow also grow peaches.
The Cotton Warehouse, which now houses the Antique Center, was built before 1910 as a farming and building supply center. The town is focused on other positive economic development influences such as main street revitalization and structural enhancements that continue to add to the community’s charm and appeal.
The Threat
Because the grounds are active only two weekends annually, the structures remain largely abandoned and neglected throughout the year.