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Agriculture in Virginia
Virginia's economy since early times has been based on agriculture.
The earliest Virginians - Englishmen, Germans and Irish amongst
others - soon found out what flourished best on their newly
adopted land - with tobacco, pigs and peanuts
all becoming nationally renowned for being made in Virginia.
Background to the State
Fair of Virginia
What started in the early 1800s as a social gathering where
pioneer farming families could get together to trade goods,
swap farming tips, and see who had the biggest and best pumpkins
developed into a huge annual event. The State Fair of Virginia
is a chance for you - and 250,000 others - to sense and
sample Virginia's famous foods and experience its cultural
heritage. As well as an annual event, the State Fair is a
not-for-profit organisation - its mission is to celebrate
Virginia's roots in agriculture. The festival takes place
annually for around seventeen days from the third week in
September at the Raceway Complex in Richmond,
Virginia.
Festival food
The number one attraction is the food and there are numerous
delicious dishes to try - even with low carb options - but
this is solely a place for lovers of the flesh as one of the
aims of the event is to promote the State's red meat industry.
Vegetarians beware: tasty chicken shish kebabs, shrimp
cocktails, taco salads and wraps, and crab quesadillas
may tempt you away from your beliefs. Or try the festival
favourites: elephant ears (huge donuts), hillbilly
corn, polish sausage, and chocolate-dipped cheesecake.
At the many booths you can also sample local delights such
as soybean doughnuts, Brunswick stew, and Virginia
peanuts as well as proverbial junk food like deep fried
Oreos and Twinkies. The fair's signature dish to
try is Virginian ham with red eye gravy, made from
the blood dripping from the ham.
Animal attractions
There's plenty more to do here than just fill your tum. Animals
are also prize draws here - see competing stunt dogs, a rooster-crowing
contest, and costumed lambs on parade - dressed as stars like
President Bush and, of course, Elvis. The top mammal attraction
has to be Wayne Rosaire's Royal Racing Pigs. Each performance
features four races, starting with quick young porkers racing
at full speed and ending with wide-body Vietnamese Pot
Belly pigs. Place your bets on a winner - the loser turns
up on the plate next year.
Demolition Derby
The festival sees a lot of big name pop and country music
acts roll into town to entertain the crowds like Hank Williams
Jnr. Another major festival event is the Demolition
Derby. It does exactly what it says on the tin and the
aim of a Derby is to demolish your opponents' cars until you
are the last one driving. In this race, just finishing in
one piece is a major achievement. Visitors who want to experience
their own thrills can try their hand at over 40 rides with
names like Chaos, Scorpion, and Wild River - who could resist?
Other thrill shows to watch include cowboy rodeo, motorbike
and bike stunts, and lawn mower racing. Be there at 6pm every
day for a colourful parade of marching bands, entertainers,
celebrities, and dancing animals.
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