Take a break from the work week for summer fun at the Arlington County Fair. Meant to show off the county’s best, the fair has been around for more than 40 years drawing roughly 74,000 people from across Virginia in recent years, according to the website. And since admission to the fair is free, why not soak up sun outside or cool off with the indoor air conditioning? We pulled together a bucket list of essentials to check out before the fair ends on Sunday, Aug. 19.
Want music while breathing in the fresh air? The lineup for the outdoor shows include nearly two dozen artists with pop, rock, acoustic, bluegrass, Latin, country and more to dance and sing-along to. Local singer and songwriter Nardo Lilly will be the outdoor opening act at 5 p.m. on Thursday, and First Road North will close out the fair with a 7:15 p.m. jazz and rock show on Sunday.
Indoor entertainment will include a 7 p.m. hip hop class on Friday, a 7 p.m. comedy hypnosis show on Saturday and a 11:15 a.m. performance by singer/songwriter Sarah Baumgarten on Sunday.
If you want to watch your favorite farm animals zoom around, prepare to squeal with delight; piglets and goats will race multiple times each day.
Have kids with you? Plan on keeping them busy with face painting, Lucky Stars Puppets, bounce houses and Magician Drew Blue Shoes.
Get hungry? No worries! The indoor vendor area boasts 15 food options, from soft serve ice cream in waffle cones from A & B Soft Serve to beef brisket from The Tender Rib. Food aside, the 150 indoor vendors offer Henna tattoos, jewelry, art, beauty products, gifts and home goods as part of the shopping selection.
And of course, what’s a fair without the timeless contests? Find out who the winners for the pies, crafts, photography, vegetables and more are at the 3 p.m. awards ceremony on Sunday.
Be advised: there is no public parking at the fair, so take a bike, hop in an Uber or take advantage of public transit. Shuttles will transport people back and forth between Pentagon City, Virginia Square and the Arlington Career Center to the fair. (P.S. dogs are welcome.)
Hours vary each day from Aug. 15 to Aug. 19. The fair is located at 3501 2nd St., Arlington.