Hog callin’ and bluegrass at the Albemarle County Fair 7/29 - 8/3
August 1, 2008 by Haidee
We have an Italian friend staying with us this weekend on his first trip to the States, and I cannot wait to take him to the Albemarle County Fair. After Monticello, vineyards and the Cvillain Bash on Saturday night, the County Fair will round out his trip to Virginia quite nicely, don’t you think?
Whether you find the County Fair just a charming novelty or you are gearing up for your fifth blue ribbon in Dairy Goats, it should be a fun time for all. Here is where you’re bound to find me on the fairgrounds…
Friday, Aug. 1
- The Great American Disc Dog Show (5:30pm, 7pm, 8pm)
- Watermelon seed Spitting Contest (6pm)
- Animal Sound Contest (7pm) - I might like to enter this with my award-winning sheep impression. What animal sound will you be competing with?
- Husband Calling Contest (8pm) - This should be interesting. What would you say? “Darling…help me get this zipper will ya?”
- Thundercreek bluegrass band (7:30 - 10:30pm) - I’m a big fan of the dobro
Saturday, Aug. 2
- Cross-cut Sawing Competition (2pm)
- Horseshoe Toss Competition (4pm) - I love horseshoes. Like cornhole, you can play it while holding a drink. Cville Sports & Social should start a horseshoe league.
- Lawnmower Races (4:30pm)
- Skyline Cloggers (4:30 - 6pm) - a clogging troupe from Crozet, VA
- Turkey Calling Contest (5pm)
- Hog Calling Contest (6pm) - Seweeeeee!!!
In addition to these events, the fair is full of activities from an arts & crafts tent to a Llama show. There are tents dedicated to agriculture and livestock, and it wouldn’t be a county fair without a petting zoo.
Foot longs, fair games, bluegrass, and farm animals…while it may not grace the cover of the social pages, the Albemarle County Fair is an iconic event for the college town that we call home. The funnel cake alone would get me out there, but I for one am looking forward to experiencing the sights and sounds of a rural Virginia county fair.
Take 29S towards Lynchburg to North Garden, right on Plank Road, the fairgrounds are 1/4 mile down Plank Road.
[Top photo: Janet Moore-Coll]
I LOVE the fair…stopping at Dr. Hoe’s Humble Pie might be part of it. I try to see the 4-H animal shows because they’re always so charming. Last year, I saw a little girl who wasn’t strong enough to hold her huge, flop-eared bunny in the ring, so her father had to hold it for her while she “showed” it. It was so cute.