The 272nd Fredericksburg Agricultural Fair is in full swing!  This is the oldest fair in Virginia and quite possibly the oldest fair in the united states.  Originally the fair was held twice a year.  Cattle, everyday necessities, goods, and other merchandise was sold.  Horses racing, hot air balloon rides, and circuses have also been a part of the fair’s history.  Today the Fredericksburg Agricultural Fair focuses on livestock competitions and sales, music acts, the Miss Fredericksburg Pageant, food, and carnival rides.  This year the Board of Directors have brought back a clown circus, petting zoo, and animal races – this time it is pigs and other small animals; as well as a Demolition Derby, motor sports, Barbarian Fight Club, beer concessions, and smoked turkey legs. 

The Fair’s Hours of Operation are:

Monday – Thursday        5pm-10pm

Friday -                                3pm-10pm

Saturday -                           10am-10pm

Sunday -                               12pm-10pm

Gates close at 10pm, but rides continue to operate until 11pm.

Cost of Admission:  Adults: $7    Seniors:  $5    Children Under 3:  FREE 

Tuesday Admission:  Adults and Seniors:  $2   Children Under 3:  FREE

Here are some highlights for this week’s events:

Monday, August 3

5:00 PM                 Fast Action Motorsports

5:00 PM                 NOJOE’s Clown Circus

5:00 PM                 Carolina Camel Ride, Pony Rides and Petting Zoo

7:00 PM                 R & R Productions Demolition Derby (Motorsports Park)

8:00 PM                 Teen Miss Fredericksburg Fair Pageant Ages 13-16  (Fairway Stage)

Tuesday, August 3 – $2.00 Day!

5:00 PM                 Fast Action Motorsports

5:00 PM                 NOJOE’s Clown Circus

5:00 PM                 Carolina Camel Ride, Pony Rides and Petting Zoo

7:00 PM                 Will Gravatt (Country/Western) (Fairway Stage)

Wednesday, August 4

5:00 PM                 Flower Show

5:00 PM                 Hot Dog/Pig Racing

5:00 PM                 Fast Action Motorsports

5:00 PM                 Kamp Kreatures Puppet Stage Show

5:00 PM                 Carolina Camel Ride, Pony Rides and Petting Zoo

7:00 PM                 Colgate Country Showdown with Brian Strobel  (Fairway Stage)

7:00 PM                 R & R Productions Powder Puff Demolition Derby  (Motorsports Park)

Thursday, August 5

5:00 PM                 Hot Dog/Pig Racing

5:00 PM                 Fast Action Motorsports

5:00 PM                 Kamp Kreatures Puppet Stage Show

5:00 PM                 Carolina Camel Ride, Pony Rides and Petting Zoo

7:00 PM                 Barbarian Fight Club  (Fairway Stage)

7:00 PM                 R & R Productions Demolition Derby (Motorsports Park)

Friday, August 6

3:00 PM                 GEICO NASCAR Appearance

3:00 PM                 Hot Dog/Pig Racing

3:00 PM                 Fast Action Motorsports

3:00 PM                 Kamp Kreatures Puppet Stage Show

3:00 PM                 Carolina Camel Ride, Pony Rides and Petting Zoo

4:00 PM                 Rides Opens

7:00 PM                 Tonny Petersen’s Hell Drivers (Motorsports Park)

7:00 PM                 Colgate Country Showdown with Brian Strobel & Glen Shelton  (Fairway Stage)

Saturday, August 7

10:00 PM               Livestock Judging – OPEN

10:00 AM               GEICO NASCAR Appearance

10:00 AM               Hot Dog/Pig Racing

10:00 AM               Fast Action Motorsports

10:00 AM               Kamp Kreatures Puppet Stage Show

10:00 AM               Carolina Camel Ride, Pony Rides and Petting Zoo

11:00 AM               Rides Opens

1:00 PM                Mud Bog (Motorsports Park)

7:00 PM                Steve Jarrell (60’s/ Beach Music) (Fairway Stage)

Sunday, August 8

12:00 PM               Carolina Camel Ride, Pony Rides and Petting Zoo

12:00 PM               GEICO NASCAR Appearance

1:00 PM                 Rides Opens

 2:00 PM                Gospel Music  (Keith L. Armstead) (Fairway Stage)

 

Well, it’s that time of year again, the Fredericksburg Fair is in town!  This is my second year attending the fair, and I must say, there have been some big improvements! 

First, there are more rides, including the re-introduction of the ferris wheel, a Fair staple.  Rides range in price and are not included in your general admission.  Lines seemed to move fairly fast. 

Second, there are more food vendors offering a wide variety of Fair food.  Now, I’ll be honest, this is my main reason for coming to the Fredericksburg Fair.  When I hear turkey leg, I come running!  Not since medieval times has it been appropriate to rip into a giant turkey leg with nothing but your teeth!  This year’s turkey legs are far bigger than last year’s and more delicious!  Other culinary delights are the Stafford Jaycees hand-dipped corn dogs, the gator sausage, funnel cake, homemade fudge, and hand-spun milkshakes.  A welcome addition this year is the beer tent!  They do have a limit to the number of beers you are served in a 2 hour time period.  There were 5-6 beers to choose from and the price was reasonable for a Fair. 

Of course, there are also animals at the Fredericksburg Fair.  My party met a delightful gentleman in the Chicken Exhibition area that showed us a chicken that has blue skin, blue meat, and black bones.  He also offered to let us purchase the chicken for our dinner, but we politely declined!  We also saw sheep, cows, rabbits, pigs, emus, a wallaby, and a camel!  There are several areas where you can pet and feed the animals and handwashing stations are close by. 

All in all, this was a pretty good Fair for a small town and I highly recommend you attend this year!  You can find more information at www.fredfair.net. 

Admission:  Age 4-54 – $7 and Age 55+ – $5  – this includes parking, but no rides.