Statewide fair organizers urge continued capital grants as $300,000 proposal faces competing needs

Representatives of Vermont’s state and county agricultural fairs told the Corrections & Institutions Committee on Feb. 19 that state capital grants pay for aging infrastructure and accessibility upgrades and asked lawmakers to keep the program funded.

The governor proposed $300,000 for agricultural fair capital grants this year and $300,000 for 2027, and the Agency of Agriculture divides the appropriation among eligible fairs, speakers said.

The money is typically used for building repairs, electrical upgrades and sanitary improvements that organizers said keep events operating. “Our grants went to improving our bathrooms in our 4‑H building. They are ADA accessible,” Christie Davis of the Vermont State Fair in Rutland said. She said the fair is also adding showers, improving its water system and making a second‑floor exhibit area accessible.

Why it matters: county fair buildings are often decades old and recurring maintenance needs — roofs, wiring, access upgrades — exceed what many volunteer boards can pay. Organizers told the committee that a…