This year’s State Fair of Virginia will offer opportunities to explore the best of Virginia agriculture.
Themed “Virginia’s Best of Show,” the 10-day event will run from Sept. 25 through Oct. 4 at The Meadow Event Park in Caroline County. Fairgoers will have an opportunity to see and experience Virginia’s diverse farming and forestry traditions, with new attractions and returning favorites that celebrate the commonwealth’s largest industries.
“State fairs embody the story of agriculture, and that is truly what’s at the heart of our mission,” said Marlene Jolliffe, the fair’s executive director. “Agriculture is a very robust and important part of our economy, so we have a big story to tell.”
Equestrian Roundup
Among the many agricultural-themed attractions are an inaugural Equestrian Roundup, featuring premier equine events like an open horse show; a World Champion Blacksmith competition; and the elegant Greenlee Draft Horse Hitch—a six-horse hitch demonstration that takes place daily at 3 p.m.
The roundup also will feature exhibits exploring equine industry careers and industry-related organizations like trail riding and therapeutic riding facilities, show circuits, equine leather workers, horseshoeing, farriery and more.
Farm animals
Other animal-related attractions include milking demonstrations in the SouthLand Dairy Farmers Mobile Classroom; over 300 unique breeds of pigeons in the Pigeon and Dove Tent; and hatching chicks and other farm animals at the Young MacDonald’s Farm exhibit.
Fairgoers also can witness a live Milkshakes of Champions contest in the SouthLand Dairy Pavilion on Sept. 27 at 4 p.m., where competitors will vie for top honors as they craft and blend delicious dairy creations.
Plants and more
In the fair’s Horticulture Pavilion, visitors can view an array of awe-inspiring giant pumpkins, squash, watermelons, beans and more. Beyond the variety of field crops, plants and preserved foods, guests can see how cotton, peanuts, soybeans and tobacco are grown in the adjacent garden and crop plot. The pavilion also will feature exhibits about women in agriculture and uses for herbal and native plants.
The garden’s back porch will host daily agricultural programming featuring information on goat milk production, maple syrup, soap making, and discussions with Cooperative Extension agents and Master Gardeners.
On Sept. 25 and 26, agricultural drones will be on display outside of the Horticulture Pavilion, demonstrating how cutting-edge drone technology is used in farming.
After touring the horticulture area, fairgoers can stop by the Meadow Pavilion to discover more about the state’s commodities. Virginia Farm Bureau’s hands-on interactive educational displays will educate fairgoers about how agriculture and farmers impact our daily lives, and how food moves from the farm to the table.
Heritage Village
Just outside of Meadow Pavilion, the fair’s Heritage Village showcases historical tractors, traditional farming technology, trades and live demonstrations of bygone farming practices.
Ag competitions
Agricultural competitions and scholarship opportunities are a long-held fair tradition, and visitors are welcome to watch the many livestock competitions. The Livestock Loop, located beside the ticket plaza, will host daily events where adults and 4-H and FFA youth showcase their cattle, goats, sheep and swine. Last year, youth and adult exhibitors showed nearly 3,000 animals during the fair’s 10-day run.
This year’s “Supreme Overall Showman” contest category in the Youth Livestock Program will feature scholarship opportunities for students showcasing beef cattle, meat goats, sheep and swine.
The culmination of the livestock competitions is the Sale of Champions on Oct. 3 at 7 p.m. where fairgoers can “bid” on competitors’ animals. Proceeds from the sale will benefit the State Fair of Virginia Youth and Scholarship Programs.
Natural resources and other education
Additionally, the fair’s Natural Resources Area inside the Farm Bureau Center includes interactive displays, Virginia wildlife species and engaging activities for all ages offered by the fair’s natural resources partners.
Virginia State University’s state-of-the-art mobile educational laboratory also returns with exhibits that showcase Virginia’s agriculture and forestry. And at the VSU and Virginia Seafood AREC tent, visitors can learn about the invasive Chesapeake Bay blue catfish wreaking havoc on the state’s waterways, see live fish, and sample delicious blue catfish nuggets.
For a full list of activities, events, tickets and more information, visit StateFairVa.org. Additional live updates can be found by following the fair on Facebook at Facebook.com/StateFairVa and Instagram @statefairva.
The State Fair is held each fall at The Meadow Event Park in Caroline County and attracts over 200,000 fairgoers. The event celebrates the best of Virginia’s past, present and future through scholarship initiatives, creative programming and a focus on the commonwealth’s agriculture and natural resources industries.
