Woody Marshall, The Telegraph

The entrance to the midway at the Georgia State Fair at Central City Park in Macon.

When Jimmy Hartley was a boy, that first cool, crisp fall day signaled the Georgia State Fair was around the corner.

Hartley, the Macon-Bibb County Fire Department chief, recalled spending his summers mowing lawns and raking leaves to save up for the fair.

With his earnings, he'd sample fair food, try his hand at the carnival games in hopes of winning a stuffed animal or two, and buy a trinket or souvenir.

"There were two things I looked forward to every year," said Hartley, a Macon native, "Christmas and the Georgia State Fair."

His love for the fair, which celebrated 151 years in 2006, hasn't changed. This year, he served as president of the fair's board of directors.

"We really are passionate about our fair," Hartley said Sunday afternoon, the last day of the weeklong event at Central City Park in Macon. "This is a great, large country fair."

He still enjoys all the trappings of the fair and his favorite fair food remains the corn dog, though the garlic-bread pizza and chili dog were in the running this year.

But he's most pleased to note that much of the fair's proceeds go to charities.

About 25 percent of funds raised from the fair go to a rainy day fund, 25 percent is earmarked to the city of Macon for the upkeep of the park and the remaining 50 percent goes to the charity fund, Hartley said. Just how much was raised wasn't immediately known Sunday, he said.

In all, about 85,000 people, a conservative estimate, came to the fair this year, said Stephanie McKleroy, the fair's operations manager.

This year, the fair added a Latino Day that featured the Latin band Grupo Machin, Hartley said.

Also debuting this year was the Miss Georgia State Fair pageant, at which Lauren Ray of Macon was crowned, McKleroy said.

Also new this year was a gospel sing with free ice cream and an urban car show that featured a hip-hop party, Hartley said. "These were really tricked out cars," he said.

There was also the giveaway of a 1980 Chevrolet El Camino sponsored by Purser Truck Sales. Although the winning ticket was drawn Sunday night, the winner won't be announced until fair officials verify all the conditions of winning, including having no affiliation with the fair and its sponsors, Hartley said. However, Hartley did say the winner was from Perry.

Other highlights of the fair included a concert by the Grapevine, a popular Middle Georgia band that features songs from the '50s and '60s, fireworks and a firefighters competition in which skills were showcased in varied contests including a bucket parade.

Two of McKleroy's favorite events this year included The Sunshine Special, when 292 orphans from children's homes in Macon and Bibb County were treated to a day at the fair at no cost. The day included their admission, rides and fair food, McKleroy said.

The other event picked as a favorite by McKleroy was the art show competition among local school children. The school with the most students winning the varied contests received $250 for art supplies, she said. The winner was Scott Elementary School in Macon.

Mary Haywood, 54, of Macon, took seven of her grandchildren - ages 8 to 13 - to the fair Sunday with the help of her adult son, Ronnie.

Each drove a car to accommodate all the kids, she said.

As soon as the gates opened, the children made a beeline for the rides, said Haywood, who rested at a picnic table in the shade. She was munching on some "good ol' onion rings and fried chicken."

Denise Benoit, of Wrightsville, was carting around a huge stuffed Georgia bulldog with a red college shirt she'd won after two tries firing a water gun.

"I don't do the rides. I do the games," said Benoit, who came to the fair with her 15-year-old daughter, Victoria, her daughter's girlfriend Tracy and a cousin, Michele.

Tami Tesch-Jerles and her 9-year-old daughter, Tesch, whose first name is her mom's maiden name, were watching a performance of Espa–a's Family Show. Martin Espa–a balanced on a rotating wheel - called "the wheel of death" - 45 feet in the air.

"We think he's pretty brave," Tami Tesch-Jerles said.