Funnel cakes to go: Drive-thru fair draws thousands in SC

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Organizers say thousands of people turned out to peer at agricultural exhibits from their car windows and grab to-go funnel cakes at a drive-thru fair in South Carolina.

The more than 150-year-old South Carolina State Fair couldn't go off as normal this year because of the coronavirus pandemic, so organizers devised a drive-thru version that was held Tuesday and Wednesday in Columbia.

Fair Manager Nancy Smith says in a news release that more than 10,000 people came through in cars on the first day, and one person arrived at 4:30 a.m. because he wanted to be the first person in line.

There weren't any rides. But the fair website says drive-thru exhibits included old fire trucks, livestock and a calliope. Drive-thru food stands sold fair food including funnel cakes and corn dogs, and workers wearing face masks handed orders to people in their cars.

“Safety has always been our first priority, and we are so thrilled to see how our patrons have embraced the changes while still showing tremendous support for the fair,” Smith said.

___

Follow AP coverage of the pandemic at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak.