Local artist Brianna Link provided the artwork for this year’s fair booklet.
Photo courtesy of Botetourt County Fair
The Botetourt County Fair returns to Buchanan Town Park this weekend, bringing two days of livestock exhibitions, agricultural demonstrations, live entertainment and longtime traditions celebrating the county’s rural heritage.
The free event will be held Friday, July 31, from 5:30-9 p.m., and Saturday, Aug. 1, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Organized by the Botetourt County Fair Association, the annual fair is designed to preserve the county’s agricultural traditions while educating future generations. According to the association, the fair’s mission is the “preservation of the past, promotion of the present, and education of the future of agriculture,” with a particular emphasis on showcasing the talents and projects of local youth through 4-H and FFA programs.
Friday evening’s festivities begin at 5:30 p.m. with the fair opening, live music by Craftmatic and the opening of the beer garden. Events continue with the Pedal Tractor Pull at 6 p.m. in the agricultural demonstration tent, Open Show Poultry Showmanship at 6 p.m. and Feather to Fork Showmanship at 7 p.m.
Food and beverages will be available from Mill Creek Baptist Church, the Lord Botetourt High School FFA, The Local Lemon, the fair’s beer garden and Virginia Mountain Vineyards, which will offer wine and wine slushies for guests 21 and older.
Saturday’s schedule is slated to begin with the fair opening at 9 a.m., followed by wood carving demonstrations at 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. The Youth Livestock Show is scheduled for 10 a.m. in the livestock tent, followed by The Honey Bowl at 11 a.m. at The Farmhouse. The annual Local Food Walk, one of the fair’s signature traditions, is scheduled for 1 p.m. on the stage before the Livestock Auction begins at 2 p.m. The fair concludes at 4 p.m.
The Local Food Walk puts a fresh twist on the traditional cake walk, giving participants the chance to win locally grown produce, homemade treats and other products donated by Botetourt County farms, markets and small businesses.
Beyond the scheduled events, fairgoers can browse vendors, visit educational exhibits, watch agricultural demonstrations and explore displays highlighting everything from baked goods, canned goods and honey to photography, woodworking, crafts, fine arts, produce, floral arrangements and eggs entered by community members. The fair grounds also include a touch-a-truck area and exhibits celebrating local agriculture and youth involvement.
The Botetourt County Fair dates to 1879, when it was first held near Hawthorne Hall Road in Fincastle before ending after the 1948 fair. The tradition was revived in Buchanan in 2013, and the Botetourt County Fair Association was established in 2023 to oversee the annual event and other agricultural initiatives.
Additional information, including the complete schedule of events, sponsorship opportunities and volunteer information, is available at BotetourtCountyFair.com.
~ Fincastle Herald staff report
