DOSWELL—From prize-winning giant watermelons to dairy cows, guests can explore all things agriculture during the State Fair of Virginia.
Themed “Real Fun, Real Virginia,” the 10-day event will run Sept. 26 through Oct. 5 at The Meadow Event Park. Fairgoers will have an opportunity to see and experience Vir-ginia’s diverse farming and forestry legacy, with new attractions and returning favor-ites that celebrate the commonwealth’s largest industry.
“Agriculture is at the heart of ‘Real Fun, Real Virginia,’ connecting us to our land, our traditions and our future,” said Robert N. Corley III, a State Fair of Virginia Youth De-velopment Board member. “These attractions showcase not just crops and animals, but the people and families who grow, raise and innovate for Virginia.”
This year’s fair brings a range of entertainment for all ages, including the new AgriGolf attraction, held daily from noon to 8 p.m. near Kidway. The hands-on activity blends mini golf with an agricultural twist, with each hole featuring an entertaining and edu-cational theme.
After some time on the putting green, visitors can stroll to the Horticulture Pavilion, home to giant pumpkins, squash, watermelons and more. In 2023, Jason Loris set a world record for his 134.1-pound butternut squash.
Beyond the variety of field crops, plants and preserved foods featured in the pavilion, guests can see Virginia commodities like cotton, peanuts, soybeans and tobacco grown in the adjacent garden. The garden also boasts a new back porch for daily agri-cultural programming.
Fairgoers can explore soil composition and health through a display featuring the fair’s Soil Your Undies challenge, where participants buried cotton undergarments to demonstrate how soil affects decomposition. Those who participated are encour-aged to bring their garments to the fair to be displayed on a clothesline.
Visitors also can discover more about the state’s commodities in the Meadow Pavil-ion, and for a step back in time, Heritage Village offers historical tractors, traditional farming technology and live demonstrations of bygone farming practices.
And as always, no fair would be complete without animals. Young MacDonald’s Farm, back in its former Harvest Landing location, gives families a chance to meet farm ani-mals. The Pigeon and Dove Tent will feature over 300 unique birds with extravagant feathers and frills. The SouthLand Dairy Farmers Mobile Classroom will host live milk-ing demonstrations throughout the fair, and Alpaca Farm Days return Oct. 4 and Oct. 5. Fairgoers can get up close with alpacas, watch live demonstrations and shop for alpaca products.
Agricultural competitions and scholarship opportunities are at the heart of the fair. The Livestock Loop will host daily 4-H and FFA competitions where youth will show-case their cows, goats, sheep and swine. Last year, youth and adult exhibitors showed nearly 3,000 animals during the fair’s 10-day run.
This year’s “Supreme Overall Showman” contest category in the Youth Livestock Pro-gram will feature scholarship opportunities for students showcasing beef cattle, meat goats, sheep and swine.
The culmination of the livestock competitions is the Sale of Champions on Oct. 4. Proceeds from the sale will benefit the State Fair of Virginia Youth and Scholarship Programs.
And to continue the fun, cows will play dress-up during the Pretty Cow Contest on Sept. 28.
The fair also features several equine exhibitions, including mounted shooting, rode-os, dressage horses and draft horses. Fairgoers can watch Greenlee Farms’ elegant six-horse hitch demonstrations daily at 3 p.m.
Several culinary competitions will showcase Virginia agriculture in delicious ways. Sponsored by Southland Dairy Farmers, contestants will face off live during a Milkshake of Champions challenge at 4 p.m. on Sept. 28, and a charcuterie competi-tion on Oct. 1. A live grilled cheese competition, sponsored by the Virginia State Dair-ymen’s Association, is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Sept. 28.
Grillmasters will use Virginia Verified Beef to impress judges with their best burgers during the Commonwealth Burger Battle, sponsored by the Virginia Beef Council, at 2 p.m. on Oct. 5.
The fair also celebrates the hard-working people behind Virginia’s food, fuel and fiber through its “Ag Superhero Trading Card” series, featuring 11 Virginia agriculturalists. Teachers and educators can request the cards, which come with related lesson plans.
Additionally, fairgoers can visit the Natural Resources Area inside the Farm Bureau Center. The area includes engaging displays, Virginia wildlife species and interactive activities for all ages offered by the fair’s natural resources partners. Adding to the ed-ucational offerings, Virginia State University’s state-of-the-art mobile educational la-boratory returns with exhibits that showcase Virginia’s agriculture and forestry. The Virginia 4-H Life Science Mobile Learning Lab also will be parked at the fair, with hands-on learning modules that explore health and life sciences.
“We hope visitors leave with a deeper appreciation for our agricultural community, and through the fair’s long-standing youth scholarships, we are helping prepare the next generation of leaders to carry this proud legacy forward,” Corley added. “Come to the State Fair to connect, explore and celebrate all that makes Virginia truly special!”
For a full list of activities, events, tickets and more information, visit StateFairVa.org. Additional live updates can be found by following the fair on Facebook at Facebook.com/StateFairVa and Instagram @statefairva.
-Virginia Farm Bureau
