State Fair of Virginia boss confident the event is safe for all: ‘We're secured’

CAROLINE COUNTY, Va. — The State Fair of Virginia returns for 10 days at The Meadow Event Park in Doswell.

The fair opens Friday at 10 a.m.

Fair executive director Marlene Jolliffe told CBS 6 this is her 35th career state fair.

“We have a legacy. We have generational fairgoers who this is a tradition, and they keep coming,” Jolliffe recalled. “My grandchildren and my children have grown up in the fair industry because of me.”

The State Fair of Virginia has been in operation since 1854 and Jolliffe said they’ve learned a lot since it moved to The Meadow Event Park in 2009.

Last year, she invited contractors to visit the fairgrounds to study their procedures finding virtually no issues, but showed areas for improvement.

Crews installed metal detectors and upgraded cameras.

A security team holds meetings year-round before the fair and safety briefings every morning the fair is in operation.

The fair partners with the Virginia State Police for security. VSP declined an interview about this topic.

Jolliffe said attendees can expect to see troopers across the park in addition to RMC Events employees in yellow shirts.

Those safety plans come on the heels of 300 people who were banned from nearby King’s Dominion due to fighting. Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Chesterfield County’s fair also saw groups fighting over the summer.

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“Certainly I follow that and pay attention to it, but we don’t start changing what has worked so well for us just because an incident happens at another location,” Jolliffe explained.

The fair has not changed any policies since then and there is no chaperone policy, either.

Jolliffe described the 10 fun days as family-friendly, with dozens of school groups visiting during the day.

“We’re secured and partner with Virginia State Police. They are one of our most critical partners, and they’re here. They’re in the operation. They’re all over the grounds. They park, they get people off of the roadway from a parking standpoint, but they’re all over the main footprint of the property, securing,” Jolliffe said.

Among the highlights this year include new bathrooms built near the entrance.

After two years of dealing with soaking tropical storms, crews have installed a 17,000-square-foot tent with seating over their main stage.

New foods include the “Big Fatty” cinnamon roll rolled in bacon and “Hurricane Fries” topped with mac and cheese, fried chicken, and Yum Yum sauce.

The fair offers a new “Fast Lane” wristband to skip the lines at the rides, farm animal showcases for adults and youth, baking competitions, musical acts, a roving piano, a magician, and more.

“The beauty of what we do with the fair is we’re not all about entertainment. We’re also about the agriculture of things, the garden, the competitions, and having that nice mix of things makes it a little easier to be able to figure out how you program it,” Jolliffe said.

The event has an overall regional economic impact of $41.5 million with 200,000 attendees over 10 days.

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