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Caroline County Ag Fair president reports 10,000+ attendance and free‑admission model for 2024
Summary
Fran Whittaker, president of the Caroline County Agricultural Fair, reviewed 2024 results to the Board: free admission, attendance over 10,000, expanded youth and livestock participation, new FairEntry software and sponsorship support including county funding.
Fran Whittaker, president of the Caroline County Agricultural Fair, briefed the Board of Supervisors on the fair’s volunteer organization, 2024 results and plans for the June 18–21, 2025 event.
Whittaker said the four‑day fair drew more than 10,000 visitors in 2024, up from a rain‑impacted prior year. The fair operates as a volunteer‑run 501(c)(3); it provides free admission and free parking, which Whittaker said is rare among Virginia fairs and is central to the fair’s mission of broad community access. “We voted to do that several years ago since COVID… and we’re gonna continue to do that,” she told supervisors.
Highlights reported by Whittaker for 2024 included stronger livestock participation (46 4‑H livestock show entrants, poultry returning after bird‑flu restrictions, and six youth livestock entries for 6–8 year old children), a 25% increase in HomeGoods entries and 800 children participating in an interactive milking exhibit. The fair introduced FairEntry software to streamline registrations, hosted entertainment and vendor displays without charging extra for performances, and won state awards for publicity materials and its fair theme.
Whittaker thanked sponsors including Caroline County, Rappahannock Electric, Atlantic Union and local civic groups. She asked the county to continue sponsorship consideration in the FY26 budget process. The board did not take a funding vote; Whittaker invited supervisors to the June fair and recognized volunteers in the audience.
