LEWISBURG, WV (WVNS)– It is final prep week at the State fair of West Virginia. Rides are getting their final touch-ups, and food vendors are getting their booths ready to serve up thousands of tasty treats over the next few weeks.
For the Vances, getting ready for the state fair is a family affair, but one that takes lots of hard work.
“It’s a big ordeal and it’s a lot of work,” said Tommy Vance of Tropical Snow. “Everybody shows up here on the first day of the fair, and it takes a lot of time and effort for us to get to that point. So we look forward to getting it done, look forward to doing it as a family, and we look forward to a great fair this year.”
Once the fair starts, Addy said she’s looking forward to her favorite part of the job. When asked if she eats the snow cones while helping, Addy Vance told us she is the official taste tester!
But, getting fair-ready isn’t always just about eating snowcones. Joshua Darby said he had to lean on some lessons from the past to help him deal with a pipe issue in his building.
“My dad, he helped me get this started, we lost him a couple of years ago,” said Billy Bob’s owner. “So he taught me a lot of little plumbing tricks. He worked here for my aunt for 20 years.”
And of course, the rides are being set up, cleaned up and checked this week as well. In fact, State Fair of West Virginia CEO Kelly Collins says one of the main attractions is being constructed.
“The big rollercoasters they started putting up those rides a couple of weeks ago. The big rollercoasters they try to get those set up a few weeks in advance because you have to get a large crane in here, and once all the rides are here you can’t get those in,” said Collins. “So the rollercoasters are mostly up right now. I think the big wheel’s going up today as well. So, you know, we’re excited.”