Lakewood Fairgrounds
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Lakewood Fairgrounds, established in 1916 in Lakewood, Georgia, just outside the eastern city limits of East Point, Georgia and south of Atlanta, Georgia, was built to be the home of the Southeastern Fair. The Lakewood Fairgrounds was located on 117 acres of former Creek Indian land, which was situated around a 15-acre lake.
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[edit] The Southeastern Fair
There was also a circus big top, arcade games, vendors, and a large carousel that remained on the premises until 1967. It became a popular destination for families in the spring and summer months. In the wintertime, one of the buildings was "converted into a southern anomaly: an ice skating rink."
[edit] Exhibition Halls
Lakewood Fairgrounds most distinctive feature is its four distinctive Spanish colonial-style livestock exhibition halls. For over twenty years, The Lakewood Fairgrounds Antique Mall was held in the exhibition halls every second weekend of the month. Over 15,000 antique dealers were on hand for the monthly event, until the weekend of October 13-15, 2006, when the Lakewood Antique Market closed its doors for good. . The Fairground halls were leased for the Antiques market on as a 50 year lease from the City of Atlanta by Ed Spivia, who promoted it until it was established as an Atlanta icon.
[edit] The Greyhound
The main thrill ride at Lakewood Fairgrounds was the Greyhound. The Greyhound was the old wooden roller coaster that was featured in all three Smokey and the Bandit films. Designed by John A. Miller, it was in operation from 1915 to 1974. The Greyhound was out of service during the early part of the 1956 season due to a major rebuild. After 1974, it sat out of operation for a number of years while the crowds at the fair continued to dwindle around it. Then, after a final repaint, its destruction was captured on film as a scene in the second Smokey & the Bandit movie.
[edit] Racing
In the '40s, a dirt track was built around the lake, called Lakewood Speedway and was used for various races.
[edit] A Future for Lakewood Fairgrounds?
Since the lease returned to the city, the future of the site of the historic Lakewood Fairgrouds is unknown. Several options are on the table for the Fairgrounds. The city could possibly place the seven barns on the Historic Register, or possibly develop the huge exhibition halls into a loft-style community, or bulldoze it for a massive redevelopment, such as Atlantic Station or the downtown East Point revitalization district. It has also been suggested the Lakewood Fairgrounds could become the new site for the Atlanta Zoo.
