Politics & Government

Thousands Respond To Name Change Survey For Dixie Classic Fair

88.5 WFDD - Public Radio For The Piedmont | By Keri Brown

Published June 3, 2019 at 4:39 PM EDT

Fair Planning Committee members collect input during a public meeting held on May 7, 2019 at the fairgrounds. KERI BROWN/WFDD

The city of Winston-Salem is wrapping up a public survey this week on the possibility of renaming the Dixie Classic Fair. The deadline is June 3.

City Council called for the survey after several residents voiced concerns at a recent meeting. Some people say “Dixie Classic” evokes images of slavery and the Confederacy.

But supporters say it's not offensive and is used in everything from Dixie Cups to Dixie Crystals sugar.

As of May 29th, there were more than 9,600 responses online. Hundreds of people also showed up at a public meeting last month.

A fair planning committee will review survey results on June 10. Chair Kathleen Garber says members will also factor in the cost of changing the name before a recommendation is made to city leaders.

“The reason there has been such great public either outcry or passion about this issue is that the fair is something that matters to people," says Garber. "It's something that they treasure and have high value in, and it's something that represents our community and the city of Winston-Salem to a much broader audience than just our citizens."

The Dixie Classic name has been used for the fair since 1956.

City Council is expected to vote on the issue in August.

*You can follow WFDD's Keri Brown on Twitter @kerib_news

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Keri Brown

Keri Brown is a multi-award winning reporter and host at 88.5 WFDD. She has been honored with two regional Edward R. Murrow awards for her stories about coal ash, and was named the 2015 radio reporter of the year by the Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas (RTDNAC).Although she covers a variety of topics, her beats are environmental and education reporting.Keri comes to the Triad from West Virginia Public Broadcasting, where she served as the Chief Bureau Reporter for the Northern Panhandle. She produced stories for the state's Public Television and Radio programs and was honored by the West Virginia Associated Press Broadcasters Association for her feature and enterprise reporting.She also served as an adjunct instructor at Wheeling Jesuit University and Bethany College in West Virginia. She worked with the Center for Educational Technologies in Wheeling, WV, and other NASA centers across the country to develop several stories about the use of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts in the classroom.Keri's journalism career began at WTRF-TV 7 in Wheeling. She worked in several roles at the station, including the head assignment editor. She also was a field producer and assignment manager at WPGH-TV Fox 53 in Pittsburgh.Keri is a graduate of Ohio University. When she's not in the studio or working on a story, she enjoys watching college football with her family, cooking, and traveling.Keri is always looking for another great story idea, so please share them with her. You can follow her on Twitter @kerib_news.

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Thousands Respond To Name Change Survey For Dixie Classic Fair

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