Vermont State Fair
Vermont State Fair | |
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Children watch an event at the Vermont State Fair in 1941 | |
Genre | Fun/entertainment |
Location(s) | Vermont State Fairgrounds, Rutland, Vermont |
Years active | 1846-Present |
Website | |
www.vermontstatefair.net |
The Vermont State Fair is an annual state fair held in Rutland, Vermont at the Vermont State Fairgrounds. The event usually takes place in early-September, and lasts for about two weeks.
History
Originally, the fair was a one day gathering held annually in Rutland County. It became long enough in 1859 to have its own home, which became the Vermont State Fairgrounds. The Fair became a three-day event before the turn of the century, and a six-day event in 1933. In 1926, it was ranked among the top ten best fairs in the United States.
Like many state fairs, the fair closed in 1917 due to the influenza outbreak, and the fair remained a low key event during World War II. Later however, it regained its popularity.
Originally, the fair was named the "Rutland Fair", and that remained its name until 1972, when the name was changed to the "Vermont State Fair".[1]
Midway
Midway attractions include the "Gravitron 3000," Carousel, "Castlerock," "Ring of Fire," and "Zipper." Some attractions are not present each year the fair is held.
Entertainment
The fair also contains numerous entertainment. Most often the entertainment is an organized event. Note that this section of the article is based on the events of the 2009 Fair.
Rosaire's Racing Pigs
Pigs race around a small track to get to a bowl of food. There are three races, each with a different breed of pigs. An announcer talks about the pigs as they race.
Pig Rooters
During each race, a child member of the audience is selected to come up to where the announcer is. While there, the announcer asks he/she questions, such as, Do you like the pigs?, Do you like your mom?, and if he/she says yes, the announcer might say, What do you like better? Afterward, he/she receives a number of prizes, like a necklace or candy.
Galaxy Girl and Galaxy Globe
"Galaxy Girl Performance"
"Galaxy Girl" performs stunts on a tall stunt tower while "Johnny Rocket" narrates. While at the top, "Galaxy Girl" educates the audience about the stunt tower using a microphone.
"Ashley Star" Performance
"Ashley Star" performs hoola hoop stunts. The performance includes her "hoola hooping" fifty hoola hoops at a time.
"Johnny Rocket" Performance
"Johnny Rocket" performs motorcycle stunts inside the "globe of death", an eight-foot-tall cyberdome, in which the audience may see through.
"Super Justin" Performance
Super Justin also performs stunts inside the "globe of death".
"Johnny Rocket" and "Super Justin" Performance
After "Super Justin"'s performance, "Johnny Rocket" and "Super Justin" perform stunts inside the cyberdome simultaneously. This is followed by "Ashley Star" standing in the cyberdome while "Johnny Rocket" and "Super Justin" are performing more stunts there.
Magic Of Lance Gifford and Company
Las Vegas Style Magic illusion show complete with free stage, sound and lights.
Bike Giveaway
Ronald McDonald's Bike Giveaway is an annual once a year event in which tricycles and two different sizes of boys and girls bikes donated by local businesses are raffled, along with two grand prizes. Volunteers help bring the bikes over to the winners who make their way down off of the bleachers to receive them and determine the winners of the grand prizes and (by adults) throw t-shirts during "t-shirt tosses"
Tickets
Tickets of different colors for the raffle are given out for free at the entrance to the Pepsi Grandstand, an area building space for various shops etc. and that contains a large stand of bleachers on the rear exterior. There are five different types of tickets: Tickets for tricycles, for young children aged one to three; Tickets for twenty-inch boys' bikes, for boys aged four to ten; Tickets for twenty-inch girls' bikes, for girls aged four to ten; Tickets for twenty-six inch boys bikes, for boys aged eleven to fourteen; And tickets for twenty-six inch girls' bikes, for girls aged eleven to fourteen. One may only receive one ticket for each type of bike.
Raffles
All of the raffles take place at a stage behind the Grandstand. Audience members are seated on the bleachers. Ronald McDonald announces all of the raffle winners.
Tricycle and Bicycle Raffles
At the start of the event, the raffles for the tricycles and bicycles take place. Volunteers help retrieve the tricycles and bikes for the large group of them.
Grand Prize Raffles
Two grand prizes are raffled directly after the tricycle and bike raffles. Anyone who has already received a tricycle or bike for the previous raffle are still eligible for winning one of the grand prizes. The first prize raffles is by most one's opinions of less value than the second prize (e.g. the first prize may be composed of a portable DVD player along with two movies, two board games and a bocce set, and the second prize may be composed of a wii, along with a two wii games, several happy meal coupons and several fair passes). A local rather renowned person, such as an entrepreneur, draws the tickets for these prizes while looking away, to prove that he/she is not being selective.
"T-shirt Tosses"
At two different points in time selected by Ronald, bundled t-shirts are thrown by hand into all different sections of the audience.
Petting Zoo
The fair's petting zoo allows visitors to touch and feel animals. These animals include sheep, goats, a bull, and others. Nearby is a camel ride, and horse rides.
Dining
Roxie's
Roxie's Famous French Fries, or Roxie's is a restaurant located within the fairgrounds. The restaurant is known not only for its french fries, but also for its foot-long hotdogs, and is a popular place to eat amongst fairgoers. Roxie's operates throughout the warmer months of the year, regardless of whether the fair is taking place.
Other dining
Other food joints in the fair are popular for selling pizza, Italian sausages, soft drinks, fried dough, corn dogs, candy apples, cotton candy, popcorn, and other popular fair food items.
Admisson
One can gain admission to the fair by purchasing admission or visiting on a free admission day. Ride admission may be gained by either purchasing a wristband or tickets, depending on what is up for purchase. Wristbands can be bought for various prices on certain days. These wristbands allow anyone wearing them to become a passenger on any ride or rides unlimited times while the fair remains open that day. On days in which wristbands are on sale, admission must be purchased. On other days, however, admission is free, but one must purchase tickets to become a passenger on any rides. Tickets may be purchased by certain numbers and certain rides costs a person wishing to become a passenger a certain number of tickets.
Annual Field Trip
Every fall, the fourth grade classes of Rutland Intermediate School take a field trip to the fair in the morning sometime around its opening. The field trip focouses on the agricultural exhibits rather than the midway, which is not yet in operation during this time anyhow. Students often bring a small deposit of money to spend on snacks. On the day of the field trip, students eat lunch here as well.
Gallery
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An event at the Rutland Fair in 1941.
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A barker at the Rutland Fair.
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A showing of "Freak Show" at the fair in 1941.
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A photographer selling portrait photos in 1937.
See also
References
External links
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