Montpelier VT – State Fair Cows and Goats!

Mr. Ken and I were lucky to attend the Vermont State Fair, held in Rutland, VT. The Vermont State Fair is an agricultural fair managed by The Rutland County Agricultural Society.

The first Vermont State Fair took place in 1846, making it one of the oldest state fairs in the United States. Originally named the Rutland State Fair, the event started out as a one day event.

The fair became popular enough that, in 1849, the Rutland Railroad began putting extra cars on their trains to bring people from all over Vermont and Western New York to visit. After moving around Rutland County for a few years, the Rutland Fair grew closer to Rutland City, sometimes setting up on land owned by John Cain (now Grove Street, north of Crescent) or on the old Baxter Estate.

The Fair was given a permanent home in 1856. The land at 175 South Main Street in Rutland, VT was originally known as the Rutland County Park. The fair, which was officially renamed in 1972 as the “Vermont State Fair” is still held at this location today.

The Fair has had top name entertainers that included Loretta Lynn, Buck Owens, Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, Conway Twitty, Ronnie Milsap, Charlie Pride, Tanya Tucker, Travis Tritt, Charlie Daniels Band, Vince Gill, Scotty McCreery, and Jeff Dunham.

If you have been reading my blog for a while, you will notice that I love cows. I love them almost as much as I love chipmunks. Now, there aren’t a lot of cows around where I live, but there are plenty in Vermont. Hah, I think that is one reason I love Vermont so much.

As expected, there were lots of farm animals at the State Fair. Lots of cows! They have such expressive faces. Although, all these cuties look like they are judging folks. 🙂

As much as I love full grown cows, I also love baby cows.

No surprise that the 4H Club played a prominent role in this fair. The 4-H Club is the largest youth development organization in the United States. It is administered by the USDA and delivered through the Cooperative Extension System of land-grant universities. It offers hands-on educational programs—ranging from STEM and agriculture to civic engagement and healthy living—for youth ages 5 to 19.

The organization’s emblem is a green four-leaf clover with a white “H” on each leaf, representing four core values:

• Head: Managing, thinking, and making better decisions.
• Heart: Being loyal, kind, and communicating well.
• Hands: Giving service, volunteering, and learning by doing.
• Health: Taking care of mind and body to live a productive life.

Here is a proud 4H winner! Isn’t his cow beautiful?

There were also other farm animals. Who could resist petting these cute baby goats?

So, have you ever been to a State Fair? How did you like it? More to come next week . . .