WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — On Tuesday night, the Winston-Salem City Council voted in favor to change the name of the Dixie Classic Fair. This has been a controversial topic for months, and many have said they want to change the name because of its racial connotation.
At a meeting last week when they discussed the possible change, a tentative timeline was given out to reporters. On Wednesday, Ben Rowe, Assistant City Manager, said that timeline has basically been thrown out.
He said they have decided not to use a marketing consultant to come up with names because of the price tag associated with hiring external help.
Now, the name change will be determined internally.
Rowe said everything is to be determined at this point, and as far as a date for a name change, that's a big question mark.
Within the next few months, directed staff will come up with a plan, and then share it with city council.
Why Change Now?
While this isn't the first time the discussion has been on the table to change the name of the Dixie Classic Fair, this one comes on the heels of Winston-Salem leaders removing a confederate station from its downtown area.
Also, in April of this year, a group spoke at a city council meeting asking city leaders to remove the word "Dixie" from the name of its annual fair. They expressed concerns that the word "Dixie" is offensive because of its association with slavery in the South.
Some even suggested the fair should have a name that looks forward and not back. From that meeting, a committee was formed and the public was eventually invited to submit names.
WFMY News 2 will continue to follow this change and keep you updated.