Cooperative Living September 2014 - 16

property, and the trees will be displayed in
the horticulture tent.
Students and other visitors to the fair
have the added benefit of breathing in fresh
country air at The Meadow Event Park,
which is the birthplace of thoroughbred
racing legend Secretariat, winner of the
1973 Triple Crown.
Fair History Full of Agriculture
The annual State Fair of Virginia dates
back to 1854. It has been located in a variety
of places in Richmond and at Strawberry
Hill off Laburnum Avenue, which became
the Richmond International Raceway. It
moved to its current location in 2009 and
now attracts about 230,000 visitors.
In 1942, when the Virginia State Fair
Association bought the Strawberry Hill
property, the association was renamed the
Atlantic Rural Exposition Inc. Its vision was
to establish a cattle show at the fair that
would benefit cattlemen in Virginia and
other states along the Atlantic Seaboard.
Initial plans called for stall space for all beef
and dairy breeds, a 4-H and FFA building,
facilities for poultry, sheep, horses and
swine, and buildings for agronomy and
horticulture.
In the 1950s, the fair was called " The
Greatest Livestock Show in the East, " with
more than 1,500 prize animals and 20
departments dedicated to livestock, agriculture
and 4-H and FFA exhibits.
Today, the goal of the State Fair of
Virginia is to keep agriculture at the forefront
of the fair while continuing to provide
quality family entertainment.
" We want the fair to be a fun experience
for everyone, and we hope that fairgoers
will enjoy learning about the state's largest
industry in an interesting, entertaining setting, "
Dillon says. " After all, where else in
Virginia can you ride the Zipper, eat a pork
parfait and watch a calf being born?
Nowhere but at the State Fair. " 
FAMILY-FRIENDLY ATTRACTIONS ARE SURE TO BE CROWD-PLEASERS
From a roving washboard musician to national recording artists, the State Fair of
Virginia offers entertainment for everyone.
And let's not forget all the tantalizing food in Festival Loop. Fairgoers can feast on
funnel cakes, gnaw on giant turkey legs or kill their diets with a Krispy Kreme cheeseburger.
There also are plenty of candy apples and snow cones to enjoy while watching
the demolition derby or listening to country sensation, Parmalee, The Original Drifters
or the Fabulous Thunderbirds perform on the Festival Stage. And a wide variety of
Virginia musicians will perform at the Triple Crown Amphitheater.
Other visitors may want to watch Masters of the Chainsaw's Ben Risney sculpt logs
into works of art. His sculptures will be auctioned off at the end of the fair to benefit the
State Fair scholarship fund. Last year's auction raised more than $13,000. There also
will be a lumberjack show, a firefighter show and the magic and illusions of magician
and hypnotist Lance Gifford. Crowd favorite Rosaire's Royal Racers will pit pig against
pig as they race around the track.
The West Texas Rattlesnake Show is sure to shake things up when a rattlesnake
wrangler stands in a glass enclosure with 14 Western Diamondback snakes and
demonstrates how fast they can strike.
And those attending the fair will have several chances each day to see frisky
canines jumping, flipping and catching flying discs as part of the K9s in Flight show. For
fairgoers who like their entertainment fast and dangerous, there is the Kachunga & The
Alligator show. The alligator-wrestling spectacle began in 1982 as a public awareness
program about wildlife, but has grown into a wildly popular fair attraction. There also
are heart-thumping thrill rides throughout the Midway Madness area. And stunt bike
riders, a stilt walker and two nights each of demolition derby and professional rodeo
will entertain fairgoers as well.
All music and attractions are included with an admission ticket. For a full list of attractions
and the musical lineup for this year's State Fair of Virginia, visit StateFairVa.org.
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Cooperative Living/September 2014

http://www.StateFairVa.org

Cooperative Living September 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Cooperative Living September 2014