The Botetourt County Fair enters its seventh year Friday and Saturday, August 9 and 10 at the Buchanan Town Park in Buchanan.
Admission is free for the agricultural-based, down-home country fair that provides an opportunity for folks to visit with friends, learn more about Botetourt County agriculture, and support local farmers and 4-H and FFA youth.
It will include agriculture exhibits and demonstrations, youth livestock shows, activities for youth, gardening competitions, food, music, tractor driving contests and homemaking exhibits and contests.
The Draft Horse Pull will return this year after a successful and popular debut at the 2017 Fair.
The 4-H and FFA Youth Livestock Show will return with 4-H and FFA livestock project animals in competitions all day.
Those interested in one of the 4-H livestock projects can find out more information and talk with someone that has experience with a particular project or animal during the fair.
Agricultural demonstrations will be going on throughout the days, and a wood band saw mill demonstration will be on hand where visitors can see what the local FFA chapters can do with their very own saw mill.
There will be ice cream. Lord Botetourt FFA will have its popular pork chop sandwiches for sale and there will be other concessions with hamburgers, hot dogs and a variety of breakfast foods.
The fair activities include the Poultry Chain Auction, the seventh year that Botetourt County 4-H’ers have participated in the Poultry Chain Project.
In late April, 4-H families from Botetourt and Alleghany Counties receive 25-day-old Cuckoo Marans (young hens). 4-H’ers are responsible for the daily care, feeding and management of their respective birds. On August 9, each child will bring their five best birds for display at the fair and compete for the honor of Grand Champion Poultry Chain Pen.
Finally, the five best birds from each participating 4-H’er will be auctioned off with the entire sale proceeds going back to the Botetourt County 4-H Poultry Chain Project. These monies will be used to fund next year’s project and provide 25 birds to each of the 2020 Poultry Chain participants.
For more information, a full list of the contests and rules, visit botetourtcountyfair.com.
Questions should be directed to Kate Lawrence at MCL87@vt.edu or the Botetourt County Extension Office at 473-8260.
