CAROLINE COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — Virginia is gearing up for its 168th State Fair, happening Sept. 23 through Oct. 2 at the Meadow Event Park in Caroline County.
This year’s event will have numerous activities, including arts and crafts, livestock and equine showings and horticulture programs, according to the State Fair website. The event will also feature both youth and adult competitions.
One of the goals of this annual event is to educate Virginians about state agriculture and where their food comes from.
“A lot of people aren’t exposed to crops and plants like those displayed in the horticulture tens,” Lynwood Broaddus, a Caroline County farmer and horticulture competitor, said in a release from the Virginia Farm Bureau. “But people are really interested in where their food comes from, and if they can see the commodities in person, it helps them make a connection.”
According to the state fair website, the fair will also include a Black Tie & Boots Scholarship Fundraiser Event on Sept. 22, from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Meadow Hall Mansion and Lawn, which directly funds the SFVA Scholarship Program.
According to the Virginia Farm Bureau, the program includes the youth culinary and creative arts scholarships, and is done in partnership with 4-H, Future Farmers of America and SkillsUSA. Last year, the SFVA awarded $29,000 in scholarships to youth competition winners.
The Virginia Farm Bureau said in its release that hundreds of Virginians participate in the fair’s competitions each year. Winners in some competitions occasionally receive a small cash prize along with a blue ribbon.
In addition to the competitions, there will be live concerts from various bands and artists, along with amusement rides including, a grand carousel, a Ferris wheel and Haunted Mansion at the State Fair. There will also be a selection of kid rides, according to the release.
The Bureau said the fair also has a variety of animal and livestock for people to see such as, sliding ducks, goat mountains, cows and more than 300 different breeds of pigeons and doves. All visitors to the fair can enter the various competitions.
“Some people think you have to win at the county fair before you can compete at the state fair, but that’s a misnomer,” a manager of the State Fair’s agriculture education and strategic programming partnerships said in the release.
Tickets for the fair will go on sale later this summer and can be purchased online or at the fair.