COURTLAND—Cornhole, the popular lawn game sweeping the country, will make its second appearance in as many years at the Franklin-Southampton County Fair, which starts Thursday, Aug. 12.

Open to participants from age 8 to 80 and over, Cornhole will be set up Thursday and Friday nights at the fairgrounds for practice prior to the tournament, which will be held Saturday, Aug. 14, said Event Chairman Glenn Joyner.

Registration will be held noon to 1 p.m. Saturday, and the tournament will start at 1:30.

There will be amateur and competitive classes. The amateur class will require teams of two at a cost of $20 per team, while the competitive, or the class for the more experienced player, is for individuals. The cost is $30 per person.

Prizes will be awarded to the winners, Joyner said. For amateurs there will be a first- and second-place trophy. Winners in the competitive class receive cash prizes, the amount of which depends on the number of persons signed up for the competition.

Other expenses of the game are paid in part by the event sponsor, Franklin Automotive.

Joyner said the game drew a good crowd in 2009, and he feels it will be even larger this year.

“This is one of the fastest growing sports in the area,” he said. “You hear about tournaments everywhere. And we’ve got some really good players around Franklin and Courtland and I’m sure some of them will be here Saturday.”

Tony Longoria, one of Franklin’s most active players and a member of the American Cornhole Organization, will be master of ceremonies at the tournament.

The game is so popular that Joyner hopes to continue with tournaments during the winter months as a fundraiser for the fair.

“This is a game that anyone can play,” he said. “I’ve seen several members of the same family, for instance, young and old, or men and women, all competing against each other.”

Joyner said he plans to start the winter games at the fairgrounds by January, but if not, they definitely will start by February.