“Give Em Something to Talk About” at the Madison County Fair.
The annual fair will be held Wednesday through Saturday, July 15-19 with entertainment, animals and more.
The fair features 77 4-Hers showing off 200 animals, live music, professional wrestling, bull riding and the demolition derby. Brinkley Entertainment, now known as Fun Time Amusement after a previous acquisition, will be back with its midway packed with games and rides. Odyssey Axe Throwing is returning as is the All American Pig Races, the latter of which hasn’t made a local fair appearance in some time. Starfield Farms is making its Madison County Fair debut with a reptile show and fair attendees will enjoy a mechanical bull and the National Wild Turkey Federation BB Shooting Range. New this year will be appearances by the Megamorph Transformer, a car which changes into a 13-feet-tall transformer.
Fair foodies will enjoy eating their way through the grounds with steak sandwiches, hot dogs, wings, barbecue, hamburgers, fries, pizza, blooming onions and ice cream.
The exhibit hall will feature entries from locals in everything from produce and food preparation and preservation to sewing, home furnishings, arts and crafts, flowers and photography. Entries are split into age divisions–5-8, 9-13, 14-19, over 19, 65 and up and special citizens–those with a significant physical or intellectual impairment. Pre-registration into the exhibit hall competitions is not required; completed forms and goods can be dropped off Tuesday, July 14, 4-7 p.m. For complete rules and the entry form, visit https://www.madisoncountyfairva.com/hfg-exhibits.
Also on Tuesday will be the Madison County Fair Pageant. The pageant will start at 6 p.m. and is open to Madison County residents from newborn to age 19. Paperwork is due by Sunday, July 12 and is available online at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSddHF4I7O-OPmecBFCd_LZUDkTzrMsUVPXv0qNzB8FnxDxiaA/viewform?pli=1. Questions should be directed to Emillee Coman at vamcfpageant@gmail.com.
The fair will unofficially kick off with the annual fireman’s parade Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. The parade will make its way along Main Street to the fairgrounds.
The grounds open Wednesday at 4 p.m., but the sheep show will take place earlier at 11 a.m. The goat show will occur at 6 p.m. followed by the Dark Hollow Band and pedal tractor pull at 7 p.m. The pie eating contest at 8:30 p.m. The main event, Mid-Atlantic Territory Wrestling, will take place at 8 p.m. at the track. This is the second consecutive year wrestling has taken place at the fair. Tag team matches will feature The Wonderbodies, The Canadians, Keishawn Kolors and Vaughn Springz, Jaysean King and Alex Young. Female wrestling will feature Sis Sisaki versus Keeley Capri and singles matches will feature the Son of Brutality, Malice versus Jiggalo Josh Valen and Project X versus Preston Jeter.
Thursday is Kid’s Night at the fair. The swine show will take place at 9 a.m. The grounds will open at 4 p.m. with the Virginia Giant Monster Truck Rides. The beef show will take place at 6 p.m. Thursday’s main events will begin at 6 p.m. and celebrate America’s 250th birthday. They include an apple pie baking contest, America 250 floral design contest and a cake and cookie decorating contest. Rules for each of the contests can be found online at https://www.madisoncountyfairva.com/. The Deanes Bluegrass Gospel Music will perform at 7 p.m.
On Friday, the dairy beef show will be held at 10 a.m. with the dairy show at 11 a.m. and the grounds once again opening at 4 p.m. Cheap Whiskey will play at 6 p.m. with the corn hole tournament at the same time. The 4-H auction will be held at 7 p.m. with the BLM Bull Riding and Rodeo at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday is the longest day of the fair with grounds opening at 9 a.m. A corn hole tournament will begin at 10 a.m. along with the Cloverbud Bucket Baby Show. The Hurt Hollow Band will perform at 1 p.m. and Karen’s Line Dancing will occur at the same time. The carnival will open at 2 p.m. and the Hi-Horse Cloggers will perform at 3 p.m. with Austin Boggs performing at 4:30 p.m. Third Dimension Skydivers will drop in at 7:45 p.m. with the demolition derby at 8 p.m.
Grounds close at 11 p.m. nightly.
Admission to the fair is $5 Wednesday and Thursday, $10 Friday and $12 Saturday. All children 10 and under are free. A weekly pass is available for $25. Carnival armbands, purchased in addition to admission, are $25 Wednesday and Thursday, $30 Friday and $35 Saturday. Pets and coolers are prohibited; the fair is rain or shine.
For more information, visit https://www.madisoncountyfairva.com/ or follow https://www.facebook.com/madcofairva on Facebook.
