Virginia Offers Fun in 55 Flavors at The County Fair
by Audrey Hingley Contributing Writer
Blue ribbons, beauty queens
and farm animals � all are images conjured up by the words, �county
fair.� Talk to the exhibitors, officials and visitors involved in a
multitude of county fairs that take place in Virginia between May and
October, and other images soon appear: family, community and friends.
�The Prince William County Fair is a safe place for
families to enjoy. Kids come first at the fair, both as spectators and
exhibitors,� explains Mary Clarke of Purcellville.
Clarke, with husband Bob and family, has been showing
Nubian dairy goats at the fair since 1969. Her granddaughters have continued
the tradition, winning �Best in Show� honors many times.
Dating to 1949, The Prince William County Fair is one of
nearly 60 county fairs held in Virginia. Fairs go way back in the
Commonwealth: In 1665, a Colonial fair was decreed in Jamestown and Colonial
�fair days� occurred in the 1700s. Virginia county fairs now include
everything from racing-pig shows to top-flight music concerts; but most
remain agriculturally based, even in areas where agriculture has been
overtaken by development.
�We still focus on agriculture, even though Prince
William County no longer has many farms left,� Clarke, the fair�s barns
coordinator, acknowledges. �We draw livestock exhibitors from both Virginia
and Maryland, and one of the changes we�ve seen in the livestock department
has been the arrival of sheep bred for fleece instead of simply for meat.�
She adds, �County fairs have always been a meeting place
for farmers, consumers and merchants, and the public has a chance to see who
produces the animals that provide their milk and meat on a local level and
learn about farm animals first-hand.�
Another important county fair component is volunteers.
Over 1,000 volunteers make the annual Rockingham County Fair, a half mile
south of Harrisonburg�s city limits, a reality. The fair attracts more than
75,000 people.
�Agriculture is still our main focus � look at where we
are [geographically],� says Dennis Cupp, general manager since 1982 and one
of only four paid staffers. �People call us an old-fashioned county fair ...
they talk about the variety, the number of exhibits we have and our paved
walkways within the fairgrounds, which are great for wheelchairs. We have a
large livestock show and lots of free on-grounds entertainment.�
Big-Name Entertainment
The Rockingham County Fair also hosts big-name acts in
its 7,000-seat grandstand area. Last year country hitmakers Trace Adkins and
Randy Travis appeared; this year�s headliners are The Beach Boys, who nearly
sold out the grandstand a few years ago. Cupp�s biggest marketing challenge
is booking popular grandstand acts amid rising entertainer fees.
Margie Ann Dick, 74, is the matriarch of what Clarke
calls �a three-generation family of exhibitors who do well at our fair.�
Dick, who started exhibiting Holstein dairy cows at the Prince William fair
as a 4-H member in 1946, has been secretary/treasurer of the Virginia
Holstein Association for the last 30 years. For the past 15 years Dick has
not shown animals, but as the fair�s dairy cattle superintendent, she takes
in fair entries, keeps records and enjoys seeing that the younger folks have
a well-run show.
�I grew up on a farm, and we had a dairy farm in Fairfax
County from 1926 to �62,� she explains.
Daughter Patty Leonard says, �Technically, we are a
four-generation 4-H family, because my mother�s parents were the ones who
got her involved in 4-H and made sure she got to the fairs. When my brother
and I came along, she supported us, and I have three daughters who have
grown up through 4-H and the county fair.�
Leonard said the �sheer fun� of showing animals through
4-H is what motivated her: �If you enjoy working with animals, kids can see
their hard work pay off. They bond with the animals and at the fair they
meet other kids and develop lifelong bonds with folks at the fair.�
Leonard, who grew up to marry a dairy farmer, long hosted
farm tours for local schools. Opening the farm up for public tours and
planting a corn maze seemed like a natural evolution, and in 2001
�Cows-N-Corn� debuted on the family�s 1,800-acre farm. Visitors can ride a
hay wagon, learn firsthand about �cow life� and see the farm�s 300 milk
cows.
The Caroline County Fair, dating to 1918, disbanded in
1969 as the face of rural America changed, but was resurrected in 1997 by
the hard work of the Madison Ruritan Club. Sally Acors of Ruther Glen
started exhibiting at the fair in 2007, entering food creations like canned
goods, pickles, cakes and jams. She explains her late father Elmer Jackman
was a bit of a gourmet cook; baking a chiffon cake using his recipe won her
first-place honors.
�It was awesome and very emotional,� she recalls. �I just
felt like Dad was there.�
Acors
continues to enter fair competitions, last year
earning 14 blue ribbons and six second-place awards.
Leonard says her family recently started going through
�boxes and boxes� of blue ribbons the various generations have won, trying
to decide which to keep. The spelling �blue riband� is still used in many
English-speaking countries, and evolved into usage for first-place awards,
particularly in county fairs.
4-H is a Key
Component
A key component of most county fairs is 4-H, available
for kids ages 5-19 and today the largest out-of-school kids� organization in
America, serving 6.5 million kids nationwide. 4-H�s foundation dates to the
1800s, with various agricultural projects aimed at rural youth. The first
boys� and girls� club in Ohio in 1902 evolved into 4-H. 4-H programs are
administered locally by Virginia Cooperative Extension, with over 140,000
kids participating in Virginia.
�I say we have cows, cooking and camp, but we have a lot
more than that!� laughs Kaci Daniel, extension agent for 4-H youth
development based in Orange County. �Here we have a dairy club, a goat club
and three horse clubs, but we also have a �job shadowing� career program and
robotic teams who build robots and [display] them.�
Daniel�s colleague, extension agent/agriculture Steve
Hopkins, says over 150 kids participate in Orange County�s 4-H and
emphasizes that county fair competitions are long-term projects. �The kids
own and take care of the animal, learn about animal nutrition and care, and
are taken through the entire process,� he says.
Mark Wahlberg, extension animal
scientist with Virginia Cooperative Extension Service in Blacksburg, says
most 4-Hers today do not live primarily on farms, although many live in
rural areas. He notes, �The strong supporters of 4-H come from the
traditional programs you see exhibited at county fairs.�
A Tent
Revival
In 1994, Isle of Wight held its first county fair since
1941 after a local committee worked to revive it. Fair manager Mark Furlo is
also the county�s park and recreation director, noting there are a few
�county-paid staff like me� helping with the fair, adding to over 100 local
volunteers.
�Our fair is very agriculturally based, with livestock
tents, field and garden tent and 4-H tent,� he says. �We have about 10,000
in attendance.�
The fair brings in national-level entertainment and acts
like �Kachunga and The Alligator Show,� where �Kachunga� pits his strength
against a 300-pound alligator.
�You don�t normally expect to see an alligator show at a
county fair,� Furlo notes. �Our cornhole (a beanbag-toss game) tournament
has a cash prize and is very popular.�
Joye Wood, administrative coordinator for the Virginia
Association of Fairs, says fairs appear to be increasing in Virginia. She
recently had two counties contact her for information, wanting to start
their own county fairs.
Wahlberg says county fairs are a good way for people to
gain exposure and appreciation for agriculture, adding, �The county fair is
still a big deal in rural areas, and a really neat community experience.
It�s real life, not some static exhibit.�
Clarke is more succinct: �Come see the fair ... let us
show you what a great family event it is, and what a fun time can be had!�
2011
Virginia
Fair Schedule
May 19-22
Powhatan County Fair � POWHATAN
June 6-11
Virginia-Kentucky District Fair & Horse Show �
WISE
June 10-12
Celebrate Fairfax! Festival � FAIRFAX
June 10-12
Caroline County Agricultural Fair � RUTHER GLEN
June 30--July 10
Salem Fair � SALEM
July 5-10
Madison County Fair � MADISON
July 14-17
Fauquier County Fair � WARRENTON
July 18-23
New River Valley Fair � DUBLIN
July 20-23
Rockbridge County Fair & Horse Show � LEXINGTON
July 21-24
Orange County Fair � ORANGE
July 25-30
Loudoun County Fair � LEESBURG
July 25-30
Frederick County Fair � WINCHESTER
July 27-30
Bland County Fair � BLAND
July 29-30
Louisa County Agricultural Fair � LOUISA
July 29-Aug 6
Rich Valley Fair � SALTVILLE
July 29-Aug 7
Fredericksburg Agricultural Fair �
FREDERICKSBURG
July 30-Aug 6
Dickinson County Fair � CLINTWOOD
Aug 1-6
Warren County Fair � FRONT ROYAL
Aug 2-6
Gloucester County Fair � GLOUCESTER
Aug 2-6
Greene County Fair � STANARDSVILLE
Aug 9-13
Augusta County Fair � FISHERSVILLE
Aug 9-13
Bergton Community Fair � BERGTON-ROCKINGHAM
Aug 9-13
Rural Retreat/Wythe County Fair � RURAL
RETREAT
Aug 10-14
Arlington County Fair � ARLINGTON
Aug 11-13
Franklin/Southampton County Fair � COURTLAND
Aug 12-13
Newport Agricultural Fair � NEWPORT
Aug 12-20
Prince William County Fair � MANASSAS
Aug 14-20
Clarke County Fair � BERRYVILLE
Aug 15-20
Rockingham County Fair � HARRISONBURG
Aug 16-20
Tazewell County Fair � TAZEWELL
Aug 18-24
Dinwiddie County Fair � VA MOTORSPORTS PARK
Aug 22-27
Page Valley Agricultural & Industrial Fair �
LURAY
Aug 23-27
Richmond County Fair � WARSAW
Aug 25-28
Carroll County Fair � HILLSVILLE
Aug 26-Sept 3
Chesterfield County Fair � CHESTER
Aug 26-Sept 3
Shenandoah County Fair �
WOODSTOCK
Aug 31-Sept 3
Lee County Fair � PENNINGTON
GAP
Aug 31-Sept 3
Highland County Fair � MONTEREY
Sept 2-10
Russell County Fair & Horse Show �
LEBANON
Sept 7-11
Amelia County Fair � AMELIA
Sept 9-10
Mathews Market Days �
MATHEWS
Sept 10
Charles City County Fair �
CHARLES CITY
Sept 12-17
Washington County Fair �
ABINGDON
Sept 15-18
Isle of Wight County Fair �
CARROLLTON
Sept 16-18
Field Day of the Past �
GOOCHLAND COUNTY AREA
Sept 16-24
Danville-Pittsylvania County Fair �
RINGGOLD
Sept 17-18
New Kent County Fair �
COLONIAL DOWNS
Sept 20-24
Patrick County Agricultural Fair � STUART
Sept 23-25
Chilhowie Community Apple Festival � CHILHOWIE
Sept 24-25
James City County Fair �
TOANA
Sept 29-Oct 9
State Fair of VA � MEADOW
EVENT PARK-DOSWELL
Oct 4-8
Halifax County Fair �
HALIFAX
Oct 11-15
South Central Fair � CHASE
CITY
Oct 18-22
Five County Fair � FARMVILLE
Oct 21-23
Stafford County Fair �
MOUNTAIN VIEW HIGH SCHOOL
www.vafairs.us � 540-869-7250
