LADSON — For the last 46 years, the Coastal Carolina Fair has brought carnival rides, sideshow attractions and agricultural competitions to the Exchange Park Fairgrounds.

The festivities are back yet again, from the colorful swirl of the Ferris wheel to flashing lights advertising elephant ears to the lakefront stage blasting live country music. This year, the fair runs Oct. 30-Nov. 9.

One former Exchange Club president has been a part of the fun almost since the beginning. It's Joe Bolchoz' 41st fair. He started out selling tickets, then worked in advertising, then entertainment, then media and public relations. Now retired, he stays involved behind-the-scenes.

He remembers one brave TV anchor riding a camel, another racing donkeys. Back in the late ’70s, he recalls the very start of t

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