Thousands enjoyed “Mountain Streams and Barnyard Dreams” at the Madison County Fair last week.
The annual fair was held Wednesday through Saturday, July 16-19 with entertainment, animals and more. Fair board treasurer Cathy Weaver said she was still calculating exact numbers, but estimated approximately 6,500 people attended the four-day event. Thursday and Friday night attendance were affected by the weather with heat delaying the start of the carnival Thursday and summer storms impacting parking Friday. Friday evening’s cornhole tournament was moved to Saturday.
“Friday night we had the BLM Bull Riding Rodeo and due to the weather it was not as well-attended as it would have been if the weather was perfect,” Weaver said. “We worked with emergency services and sheriff Erik Weaver on making a decision on Friday night. We were cautious of the mud in the parking field so we closed the field and offered parking at the elementary and high schools with shuttle rides.”
A widespread power outage also occurred Friday, affecting thousands of homes and businesses in several counties. Thankfully, Weaver said the outage had very little impact on the fair.
“The electric company staff and the linemen gods were on our side,” she said. “The power went off and came back on very quickly.”
The highlight of the week was Saturday’s demolition derby. Weaver said the track was muddy, but the rain moved out just before the derby started and the crowd didn’t disappoint.
Also a mainstay of the fair are the livestock shows and auction. Nearly 70 4-H youth showed 193 animals throughout the four-day event culminating in the auction. According to 4-H Extension Agent Kelly Mallory, 113 animals sold for $255,000 collectively.
Plans for next year’s fair will get underway during the September meeting of the fair board. The board uses its August meeting to show appreciation for volunteers who make the fair possible.
“It’s a lot of work and we could not make it happen without our great volunteers [and] also our fair board,” Weaver said. “It’s the best and all about teamwork.”
For more information, visit https://www.madisoncountyfairva.com/ or follow https://www.facebook.com/madcofairva on Facebook.
