Fair returns to county on Friday

By Bennie Scarton Jr.

Published: August 6, 2008

The gates will swing open Friday for the 59th annual Prince William County Fair.

The farm classic will run for nine days, closing on Aug. 16 at the fairgrounds, a mile south of Manassas on Va. 234.

More than 80,000 spectators are expected to pass through the turnstiles before the curtains come down on the event, billed as the largest county fair in the state.

The event will offer midway rides, nightly entertainment, livestock and crafts, baby contest, pet shows, food vendors, special entertainment and commercial exhibit displays—and free parking.

Admission prices at the gate are $7 for adults 7-59; $5 seniors 60 and over; $5 children ages 3-6 and infants two years and under free.

Advance tickets at reduced prices can be purchased through today.

Friday will be half price day and admission and ride wrist bands will be half price. That's $3.50 for adult admission and $8 for the wristband and fair officials hope the reduced prices will get the fair "off with a bang."

Dollar day will be Wednesday when admission to the fair will be $1 and the rides $1 each.

For the first time this year, grandstand shows will cost an additional $2 per person. The exception to this is "An Evening with Corbin Blue" on Tuesday at 8 p.m.—this year's special concert. The grandstand seating for this concert is free and track seating close to the stage tickets can still be purchased for $20.

Other grandstand shows will be a truck and tractor pull by East Coast Pullers on Friday and Saturday nights; rodeo on Sunday, country music show on Tuesday; demolition derbies on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday; and a freestyle motocross jump-off on Saturday, the final night of the fair.

With gasoline prices so high, fair officials are hoping that local residents will come out to the local fair rather than driving long distances to other attractions.

"We offer a good, clean family day of fun … something for everyone. With so many exciting attractions all in one place, everyone will love it," said Keith Johnson, fair manager, noting that "unlike most attractions, we didn't raise the admission price this year."

Highlighting the daily attractions will be this year's special attraction, Sea Lion Splash. Children, young and old, can have hands-on fund with Middle Earth Studios story-telling, pony rides, the Children's Barn and the petting zoo. Young writers will show why their grandmother or grandfather is the best in the Greatest Grandparents Competition.

Fairgoers can see work made by local talent in the Home Arts Building and learn about animals and agriculture in the livestock barns. 

Daily and nightly attractions in the show barn will include performances by the Bull Run and Cardinal Cloggers, Grand Square dancers, Prince William Fencing Academy, Irish dancers, Bull Run Troubadours, Flyball demonstrations, wrestling, bluegrass music by Page County Ramblers and Leon Morris and Associates, rock bands and Elvis impersonator Lionel Ward and the New World Band.

Sponsored by the Prince William

Veterans Farm Club, the fair began nearly 60 years ago by a group of veterans returning from World War II who wanted to promote the agriculture industry in the county.

Their dream started when they sponsored a dairy show on Sept. 10, 1949. Although done on a small scale, it was the beginning of what is now the county fair. The farm club was incorporated in 1971 and the veterans who volunteered their time laid the foundation for what is currently the state's most attended county fair.

The fair has been at its present location since 1956 and keeps expanding and adding new features each year.

The theme of the fair this year is … "where the pieces all come together" as the fair officials once again strive to put on the exciting fair, hoping that it will make everybody in the family happy. Families can also stroll the Deggeller Attractions Midway, and there's also shopping, demonstrations, great variety of foods, watch dairy cows being milked and take in the judging of livestock and children's pets. 

Staff writer Bennie Scarton Jr. can be reached at 703-369-6707.