On Friday, the Georgia State Fair will open up in a new home.

After more than 160 years in Macon, the Georgia State Fair is moving permanently to Hampton.

The Georgia State Fair began in 1846 in Stone Mountain. It moved to Macon in 1851 where it enjoyed a successful run. But recent competition from the Georgia National Fair in nearby Perry has affected profits.

In 2012, Universal Fairs bought the State Fair and moved it to the Atlanta Motor Speedway. That move worked, and the company announced this week that the new location will be permanent.

"Once the Georgia State Fair moved to the Atlanta Motor Speedway, attendance has quadrupled," says Reid Shuping of Universal Fairs.

"Tons of great concerts and attractions have been added to make for a great family-friendly adventure."

Shuping also says that the fair connects people to their childhoods.

"At our event, we have the rhinestone roper, and he does knife throwing and bull whip cracking and gun spinning. Those are things that are entertaining people of all ages."

Shuping says they're expecting about a hundred thousand people to attend during the State Fair's 10-day run.

Dates for the 2013 Georgia State Fair are October 25 - November 3, 2013.

Tags: Macon, Hampton, Leah Fleming. Georgia State Fair