Wendy Campbell of the State Fair peeks into the foaling shed where Secretariat was born. The shed will be moved and restored as part of the new fair site.

The parking lot and horse arena areas are under construction for the State Fair of Virginia at the new Meadow Event Center in Caroline County. It's located next to the Kings Dominion theme park.

The stables at the former Meadow Farm will be part of the park.

Jay Lugar of the State Fair of Virginia looks over the grounds where horse events will take place.

Workers construct the new Farm Bureau Center, a 75,000-square-foot exhibition hall at The Meadow Event Park in Caroline. It will host commercial vendors during the State Fair and consumer shows the rest of the year.

The Meadow Event Park will open in time for 2009 State Fair but will continue to pay dividends for Caroline long after the fall event

By COREY BYERS

Date published: 8/19/2008

When The Meadow Event Park opens next September, it will bring thousands of people to Caroline County for the State Fair.

And after the fair's 11-day run, officials say it will offer an ongoing venue for businesses and a source of revenue for the county.

At an April groundbreaking for the first phase of the project, officials stressed that the goal of opening next year was very tentative. But State Fair of Virginia President Curry Roberts confirmed last week that the 2009 fair will be held at the new park.

State Fair Marketing Director Jay Lugar said the site along State Route 30 will offer more flexibility to host the fair and other year-round events since they own the property instead of renting it.

Gary Wilson Caroline's Director of Economic Development said he's happy to hear the park will open sooner rather than later. Wilson expects the park will fill up hotels and motels at times that are traditionally off-season for tourism. He also believes it will generate a revenue stream for Caroline at times when there normally isn't any.

"They have a full-year calendar, so it will be an advantage to us throughout the year," Wilson said yesterday. "It will also generate more meals, taxes and also bring more people to the community. That puts them in front of retailers."

He added that the fair itself will be a cultural experience that the county doesn't offer now.

This year's State Fair, the last at the Richmond Raceway Complex, runs Sept. 25 to Oct. 5.

Roberts said the fair doesn't plan to advertise the new site right away, but it will start noting the Caroline location in its literature and on its Web site after this year's event.

Fair officials have been in talks with the Virginia Department of Transportation and Kings Dominion about potential signs, he said.

Wilson said his office has announced the fair's impending arrival in a county tourism brochure. He expects a new county visitors center to open by the end of this year, which will dovetail nicely with next year's big event.

Located 35 miles south of Fredericksburg and 25 miles north of Richmond, the new location will put the fair within a 60-mile radius of approximately 2.3 million people--including the populous Northern Virginia area.

The park site is the birthplace of 1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat and Riva Ridge, the 1972 winner of the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes. A foaling shed and stall barns are being restored as part of construction. Lugar said the stalls could potentially be used for showcasing rare horse breeds.

Roberts said the State Fair has spoken with a design firm to develop concepts for a possible equine museum, but that idea is still in the planning stage.

Roberts said a public safety building on the property will serve as a "unified command center" for police and emergency services during major events. He said State Police will have access to the building during the rest of the year.

Corey Byers: 540/735-1976
Email: cbyers@freelancestar.com

State Fair of Virginia President Curry Roberts and Marketing Director Jay Lugar said the following structures are expected to be complete by Sept. 1, 2009. They are part of the first phase of construction at a cost of $81 million: Americraft Pavillion: The 10,000-square-foot facility will house horticulture exhibits and crops. This is a change from the Raceway Complex because it will stand alone rather than be part of a larger facility. Union Bank & Trust Hall: The 13,000-square-foot mansion at the center of the property will undergo renovations to bring it up to code. It will be available for private rentals such as meetings, weddings and corporate retreats. Farm Bureau Center: The 75,000-square-foot exhibition hall can be divided into two separate spaces. It will host commercial vendors during the fair and trade and consumer shows the rest of the year. Equine Complex: Four rings will host horse shows, competitions, rodeos and practice rides. The Southern States Legends stable will have 143 stalls. Lugar said there's a big demand for facilities in this part of the state and the complex could be used for horse shows March through November. --Corey Byers

Date published: 8/19/2008