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15-817: 37°51′00″N 77°25′16″W  /  37.850°N 77.421°W  / 37.850; -77.421 The Meadow Event Park (also called "The Meadow") is an event center in Doswell, Virginia . Previously called the Meadow Stables, the park hosts the annual State Fair of Virginia. On March 14, 2013, the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation bought the State Fair of Virginia and the Meadow Event Park from Universal Fairs LLC of Cordova, Tennessee . The Meadow Event Park also hosts other events. The historic structures of

30-415: A 10,000-square-foot (930 m ) multi-purpose pavilion, a horse-stall barn with 143 stalls, and an equine facility with four show rings, to accommodate local and regional horse shows and other equine events. The Meadow Event Park is on the site of Meadow Farm, the thoroughbred horse farm owned by Christopher Chenery that was the breeding home of back-to-back racing greats Riva Ridge and Secretariat ,

45-700: Is a state fair held annually at the end of September at The Meadow Event Park in Doswell , Virginia . Through 2008, the fair was held at the Richmond Raceway Complex , located in eastern Henrico County , just outside the capital city of Richmond . It is owned by the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation. The Fair has offered rides, carnival games, concerts, and typical fair foods such as cotton candy and funnel cakes as well as Virginia's favorites barbecue chicken and peanuts. The Fair has also offered technological, agricultural, historical, and livestock exhibitions and competitions, including pig races. Several of

60-686: The African American grooms that are mentioned in the National Park Service application. Meadow Farms and Secretariat are also recognized by an official roadside historic marker from the State of Virginia. Doswell, Virginia Doswell is an unincorporated community in Hanover County in the Central Region of the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia . Originally called Hanover Junction, it

75-543: The Thoroughbred farm remain on the 331-acre (1.34 km) site. The park was the birthplace of famous Thoroughbred racing horse Secretariat , 1973 Triple Crown champion. The original barns that housed Secretariat, Riva Ridge , and earlier Meadow Stable champions have been preserved including the foaling shed where Secretariat was born on March 30, 1970. Meadow Hall showcases the Meadow Champions Galleries,

90-638: The Triple Crown Room and the Museum of the Virginia Horse. Each spring, fans from all over the country flock to The Meadow for the annual Secretariat Birthday Celebration. In the fall, the State Fair features a Salute to Secretariat. The history of The Meadow dates back to 1805, when Dr. Charles D. Morris purchased 4,000 acres (16 km) of land which served as his family's home for the next 100 years. The farm

105-656: The Triple Crown and the only champion to break all three track records, which still stand fifty years later. The Meadow was sold by the Chenery family in 1979, and most of the property was divided into smaller parcels. The rest of the farm changed owners several times. The venue has been owned by the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation since March 14, 2013. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as The Meadow Historic District in 2015. The Meadow's history includes

120-427: The competitions offered scholarships to students that competed. Entertainment includes log-rolling, chain sawing, pig races, snake handling, magicians, and stilt-walking. Vendors sell clothing, belt buckles, and other items with novelty designs The expositions have included: "Virginia World" which highlighted Virginia agricultural products, the better living center which hosted the arts & craft competition displays,

135-480: The options of the 4-5 year olds, plus the merry go round and the airplane rider which goes around in a circle at slow speed. All individuals 12 and up have access to all the rides as long as they are 61 inches or above. The Fair moved to its new location in 2009 at the Meadow Event Park in Caroline County. This multi-use space of 360 acres (1.5 km ) includes a 75,000-square-foot (7,000 m ) exposition hall,

150-553: The technology expo which highlighted Virginia technology industry, and "Young McDonald's Farm" which displayed a variety of young animals for the urban visitor to see. Additionally, one section of the Fair has included a "Heritage Village" which displayed Native American, African American, and Euro-American history in the Commonwealth of Virginia. There is a special section of the park with rides for children ages 4-5. Those ages 6-12 have all

165-478: The vicinity of Doswell. There are also several historic sites in the area, such as Church Quarter and Sharp's Oakland which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places . 37°51′37″N 77°27′51″W  /  37.86028°N 77.46417°W  / 37.86028; -77.46417 This Hanover County, Virginia state location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Virginia State Fair The State Fair of Virginia

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180-436: The winners of five of the six Triple Crown races in 1972 and 1973. No fair was held in 1861–64, 1917–18, 1942–45 & 2020. In March 2012, the fair's parent company filed for chapter 7 bankruptcy, putting the fair on hold for the first time in its history. Reasons for the non-profit's bankruptcy included the high costs for converting Meadow Farm into Meadow Event Park. All events that the company ran were cancelled, except for

195-605: Was changed to Doswell in the early 1890s in honor of Major Thomas Doswell (1823—90). The first Doswell in the area was James Doswell, a captain in the American Revolution . Formerly consisting primarily of farmland, Doswell currently has many residents who commute to jobs in Richmond . Kings Dominion , a major amusement park owned by Six Flags , and Meadow Event Park , home of the Virginia State Fair , are located in

210-593: Was located on the Virginia Central Railroad (later, part of the C&;O ) at a crossing of the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad , a north–south route. Both railroads are now owned by CSX Transportation , although the former Virginia Central line is leased to a short-line carrier, Buckingham Branch Railroad . The area near the Doswell train station is a popular train-watching site for railfans . The name

225-566: Was sold out of the family in the early 1900s until Christopher Chenery , a Morris descendant, bought it back in 1936. His daughter, Penny Chenery , continued his work, achieving success with Riva Ridge and Secretariat. In 1972, Riva Ridge won the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes and placed fourth in the Preakness . In 1973, Secretariat became the first horse in twenty-five years to win

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