Community comes together to celebrate the 20th year of the Floyd County Fair
There was no shortage of things to do as the fair celebrated its 20th year. There were inflatables, pony rides, pumpkin painting, balloon animals, arts and crafts exhibits, a petting zoo, a demonstration milking station, sheep shearing demonstrations, and plenty of local vendors to support.
The annual Floyd County Livestock and County Fair held its 20th community event on Saturday, Sept. 12. Board member Dee Wallace said that in its 20-year history, the fair has only been cancelled once, and that was due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The fair has been held on the same property since 2015, Wallace said. Previously known as Chantilly Farm then the Floyd Family Campground, the land is now the "Floyd/Blue Ridge Parkway KOA," a part of Kampgrounds of America.
Wallace said that she enjoys being right at the admissions tent for the fair because "the kids come in with such great expectation of having a wide-open place to run. They love petting the animals, and watching the shows." She noted that a lot of local youth participate in the livestock shows or showcase their skills in competitions that range from traditional (needlework, canning, photography, etc.) to newer additions, such as Lego. She said the fair is "just a great way to showcase our young people" and added that some of the youngest community members really enjoy the touch-a-truck stations.
There was no shortage of things to do as the fair celebrated its 20th year. There were inflatables, pony rides, pumpkin painting, balloon animals, arts and crafts exhibits, a petting zoo, a demonstration milking station, sheep shearing demonstrations, and plenty of local vendors to support.
The Floyd Country Store, home of the famous Friday Night Jamboree! Featuring a wide variety of locally sourced crafts and merchandise, stop in and browse. Enjoy lunch or a sweet treat from our Café or Soda Fountain while you're there. Live music 5 days a week!
The event also included hayrides, live music, and youth livestock shows for lambs and dairy goats. The 4-H Poultry Show was postponed due to illness.
Community organizations, such as the Floyd Office of the Virginia Cooperative Extension, Farm Bureau, Citizens, NRV Master Gardners, the Barnyard Sensory Gym, Floyd County Chamber, and many more, were on-site with activities, information, and goodies to take home.
Joanna Snyder traveled from Pennsylvania specifically to come to the Floyd Fair to show her goats in the Mini Dairy Goat Association Show, representing Cedarvale Dairy Goats. Snyder said she was thrilled to have her goats earn two ribbons at this year's event.
"We have Foggy Fork Farm, S.S. Cherry on Top, Three Star P (one goat). She is a mini Nubian who's two years old, and she won Reserve Champion and Best Udder in her class," Snyder said. Another one of her goats, Cedarvale FF, Blossom of Snow, who is a senior kid, also won Reserve Champion in her class.
The dairy goats are judged on their conformation, their general appearance, and their mammary systems, according to Snyder. "We want to see that they're capacious, that they are productive, that they're making lots of milk, and are built to withstand many years of being bred, having babies, and producing milk."
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Justin Peoples of The Hidden Bookshop sat at his booth with books wrapped up like presents. Peoples explained that the packages, which come with two bookmarks, an eye mask, a snack and drink, a pen, a highlighter, and a paperclip, are "blind dates with a book."
"You only know the genre, you don't know what book it is," he said.
Click to enlarge images in gallery. Photos by Tanja Harmon
Click to enlarge images in gallery. Photos by Tanja Harmon
