Take a Break from Your Troubles at the Washington County Fair from April 12 to April 20

The Washington County Fair is back for 2024 starting April 12 and will be available until April 20. 

As a first-time visitor of the Washington County Fair, I wanted to know why the event is so special. I managed to speak with the director of the Washington County Fair, Susi Lafaele, to find out just how much is going into this year’s festivities. 

Lafaele said, “First time visitors can expect to see everything that you think a county fair is supposed to have. So, everything from the carnival rides to the food like corn dogs and funnel cakes, to all of the fun different acts.” 

Such acts include animal stilt walkers, Paul Bunyan’s Lumberjack Show, waterlog rolling, pig races, petting zoo, and a whole swath of other live entertainment like the rodeo and demolition derby. 

One event I couldn’t help but ask about was barrel racing. I mean c’mon, barrel racing? 

Lafaele said, “Barrel racing is an equestrian event that we have. We’ve had it here at the fair for the last five years, so this is our sixth year with barrel racing, and that’s on Thursday night and free to watch. We have other equestrian events too, including team roping and team sorting and breakaway, and of course, our rodeo this Friday and Saturday [April 12 and 13].” 

Lafaele believes their rodeo is special, not just because of the bull riding and whatnot, but because it’s a mix of athleticism and patriotism. 

The Washington County Fair opens at 4 p.m. on April 12 and will close at 10 p.m. April 15 to April 19 have the same opening and closing times. April 13 and April 20 are more of an all-day experience opening at 10 a.m. and closing at 10 p.m. The Washington County Fair can be found just half a mile away from the DMV in Hurricane.

Admission tickets for the fair are just $2 for adults and $1 for kids. Once you’re inside, there are plenty of free attractions, but events such as the concert with American Idol Winner Iam Tongi and demolition derby have a separate admission fee. 

Tickets start at $25 for concerts, and $30 dollars for the demolition derby. The rodeo is $10 per ticket. 

This is a lot of effort for a county fair, at least that’s the impression I got from my conversation with Lafaele, so I couldn’t help but ask what was in it for her. 

Lafaele said, “This is going to sound super cheesy, but I really do enjoy seeing the pleasure and the smiles that come from people’s faces and providing quality entertainment and quality events. For a lot of people and a lot of families, the county fair is a tradition, and they come every year, and they bring their grandkids, they bring their relatives, their best friends, and so to be part of that tradition is really awesome. Just to see the excitement on a little kid’s face when they pet a baby goat or to see a veteran look at our military Wall of Honor and honor his comrades.” 

The fair director said the best part of these types of events is that it allows people to forget their troubles like inflation, rising gas prices, or whatever ails them, and just let themselves have a good time.