County fairs bring people together. Sometimes it’s the only time of the year when people see others they know.

Certainly that was true at the Franklin-Southampton County fair five weeks ago.

It’s been true of the Isle of Wight County fair since the early 1990s.

This year, planners of the Isle of Wight fair were faced with an obstacle. The fairgrounds at Heritage Park along Route 258 just north of Windsor is undergoing significant renovations and can’t be used this year. So the planners came up with a Plan B: This weekend’s AG FEST 2007, a return to the agricultural roots of the county’s history.

We’re told that the renovations of the fairgrounds are on schedule and under budget and should be ready to host the fair next year.

But rather than folding up their tents (literally), planners scaled back and put together AG FEST 2007. It’s not their first choice, but it’s a good one.