MOORESVILLE — This year’s Old Settlers Fair will take place at Pioneer Park from Aug. 1-4, according to Mooresville Lions Club member Randy Haymaker.

He was present at the Mooresville Park Board meeting on June 10 to discuss some of the plans for this year’s fair.

Haymaker told the board this year’s fair will include more entertainment than in the past. “We are able to do that because last year was such a success,” Haymaker noted.

He asked park officials if there would be any changes in parking for the event this year.

Parks superintendent Phil Cornelius said there would be no changes in the parking from previous years.

“Will we need to provide any additional security?” Haymaker asked. “It went along well last year.”

“Nope, everything we did last year went well, so looking at doing the same thing this year,” Cornelius responded.

Haymaker also asked if the park would be able to supply a dumpster to the Lions Club.

Cornelius told Haymaker the park can have a dumpster ready for the fair.

According to Haymaker, there will be pre-sale wristbands available for purchase for fair-goers to ride the rides.

The wristbands will be “day specific” for each of the days of this year’s event.

“If you want to use a wristband on four days, you got to buy four of them,” Haymaker noted.

One different thing from last year the Lions Club is requesting is more Port-a-Potties for the event, and for one or two of them to be ADA accessible.

Haymaker told the board that the Lions Club took over managing the Old Settlers Fair in 1946.

During the meeting, Haymaker was asked about the Old Settlers Parade.

He noted, however, that the parade is managed by the Sons of the American Legion and will take place on Sunday, Aug. 4, this year.

Pioneer Park Project

Cornelius told the board that its building committee and Pioneer Park Project team met recently to go over the plans for the updates at the park.

“Went over the whole plan concept funding up to this point … and really went into the nitty gritty of the whole project,” Cornelius said, adding that it was determined a work session would be necessary for the whole board to attend.

That work session took place on June 12, which gave the park board the ability to ask the project team questions about the plans for the updates at Pioneer Park.

It also allowed the team to determine the final scope of the project, which will then give the project team the ability to determine the overall cost of the work.

“That still puts us in the scope of July approving final budget and scope,” Cornelius said. “Project beginning shortly afterwards.”

He added there would be a permitting process which would take about two months, and a groundbreaking taking place shortly after.

“We’re really on schedule,” Cornelius said. “Couple of things have taken a little longer than expected, but we were anticipating going into this project that stormwater was going to be one of those questions, curveballs that we needed to figure out, and it was going to take time to make sure that we did it right.”

~ By Lance Gideon | Reporter | Published June 20, 2024 in The Morgan County Correspondent