In 70 days thousands of people will be flocking to Caroline County as the State Fair of Virginia kicks off for the second time at The Meadow Event Park.
Since the end of last year’s fair dozens of State Fair of Virginia (SFVA) and The Meadow staff members have been working to make improvements to the 360 acre site while keeping it fully functioning for other events.
The event park has hosted a slew of events including, graduations, cheerleading competitions, horse and dog shows, and a bike race. Representatives say a perk that helps attract people to the park is the “full service” aspect it can provide for those looking to throw a public or private event. Everything from catering and marketing to booking and rentals can be handled on-site.
SFVA President Curry Roberts says they have been extremely pleased at the caliber and diversity of events The Meadow has attracted in its first year and expects that to increase with this month’s opening of the newly renovated Union First Market Bank Hall. “It’s really going to take off. It’s a very special and unique building period. And it has a lot of uses, corporate and community events, weddings, wine events,” says Roberts.
Another main focus has been finding ways to improve the parking process for this year’s fair. SFVA Marketing Director, Jay Lugar says he expects parking to be much easier and more organized this September. “We will be bringing in the cars a different way. There will also be a facility fee included with the price of a fair ticket so essentially parking will be free. This will help people get in quicker.” In addition to those changes Lugar says handicapped parking areas will be moved closer to the fair entrance and they plan to provide more trams to shuttle guests to and from parking areas.
While parking has been a large focus at The Meadow, preservation has been a top priority as well. In fact, more than 250 acres of the property is considered open green space.
Walking along the property you can now physically see some of the “green” and environmentally conscious projects that are underway. More than 700 trees and shrubs have been planted to restore and preserve the wetlands and swales. These areas are now able to attract and inhabit various forms of unique and native Virginia wildlife. The Virginia Bluebird Society recently installed nest boxes in the wetland areas to enhance and study the bluebird habitat. Slope gardens and natural filtering and drainage systems also dot the rolling landscape.
Reduce, reuse, and recycle are words to live by inside The Meadow’s offices and on its grounds. Organic waste and mulch used as cattle bedding during the State Fair is reused as on-site fertilizer and landscaping material throughout the year. Whenever possible, wooden materials and fencing are reused as well. One recent project involved using old wood decking to create flower boxes.
Staff also want to keep community members involved. The Hanover-Caroline Soil and Water District uses the property as the site of their outdoor classroom for the Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience. The Meadow representatives say they hope to develop more partnerships and projects like this in the future.
Going green doesn’t simply go away while the fair is in town. The State Fair itself is part of the Department of Environmental Quality’s Virginia Green program. Green events pledge to recycle, minimize printed materials and use recycled content whenever possible, reduce waste and utilize signage to explain to Fair customers how the event is going green. Fair goers will also see more green focused events this year including an expanded Farmer’s Market. The Virginia State Fair kicks off on September 23rd and will run through October 3rd.