State Fair of Virginia

The State Fair of Virginia is a state fair held every year in late September at the Meadow Event Park in Doswell, Virginia. Before 2008, the fair took place at the Richmond Raceway Complex in eastern Henrico County, just outside the city of Richmond. The fair is owned by the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation.

Visitors can enjoy fun rides, carnival games, concerts, and tasty foods like cotton candy, funnel cakes, barbecue chicken, and peanuts. The fair also features exciting exhibitions and competitions, such as pig races, and offers scholarships to students who participate. Entertainment includes log-rolling, chain sawing, snake handling, magicians, and stilt-walking performances. Vendors sell clothing, belt buckles, and other unique items.

There are special areas like “Virginia World,” which shows off the state’s agricultural products, a better living center for arts and crafts, a technology expo, and “Young McDonald’s Farm” where city kids can see a variety of animals. One part of the fair, called “Heritage Village,” showcases the history of Native American, African American, and Euro-American cultures in Virginia.

Rides

The fair has a special area with rides for younger children, like those who are 4 or 5 years old. Children who are 6 to 12 years old can enjoy all the rides that the younger kids can, plus a merry-go-round and a slow airplane ride. Kids who are 12 or older can ride all the rides, but they need to be at least 61 inches tall to ride some of the bigger ones.

History

The State Fair of Virginia moved to a new place in 2009 called Meadow Event Park in Caroline County. This big space has many buildings and areas for different events, including horse shows. The park is special because it was once a farm where famous race horses were raised.

In 2012, the company that ran the fair had money problems and stopped holding the fair for a while. But later, a new group helped keep the fair going, and today it continues as a fun event for everyone.