By Maggie Pruitt
Fairs and rodeos are the staple of a town that thrives on agriculture. In Aggieland, things are not so different. This year, the Brazos Valley is celebrating its eighth annual fair and rodeo at the Brazos County Expo Complex on Oct. 12 and 13 and Oct. 18 through 20.
“It’s not just a county fair,” says Fiona Meyer, senior manager of the Brazos Valley Fair and Rodeo. “We were designed to be a regional fair, so we encompass eight counties. We’re open to the entire Brazos Valley, not just Brazos County.”
The Brazos Valley Fair and Rodeo is in the process of growing to become a nine-day event. As part of this expansion, it is celebrating its first ever kick-off weekend this year on Oct. 12 and 13. This will include a tractor pull, a high school student weld-off competition, and a steak cook-off open to all, among other activities.
On the main fair weekend of Oct. 18 through 20, the fair will begin on Friday at 4pm with various exhibits, a carnival, shows, competitions, activities for kids, shopping, rodeos, and concerts featuring headliners Roger Creager, Blackhawk, and Pesado. The fun will continue until 11pm on Sunday evening.
The shows and exhibits featured will be centered on engaging agriculture education for all. “One of our missions is ag education through entertainment,” says Meyer. “Kids don’t think of it as education because it’s fun and interactive. All of our shows have an educational twist to them.”
A prominent exhibit the fair presents is showing attendees where their food comes from. “Everyone has one thing in common: we all eat,” says Meyer.
Along with education, the fair is devoted to getting the community involved. “We want to offer more things for the community to get involved in,” says Meyer. “We utilize just over 450 volunteers to help us.”
As a reward for their service, volunteers get a free one-day ticket and a free Brazos Valley Fair and Rodeo shirt. Additionally, the fair has implemented a program for nonprofit groups that need to fundraise. Student organizations and individual nonprofits can bring a group to volunteer, and the fair will donate five dollars per person for each hour volunteered to their organization.
While volunteers will receive free admission to the fair, it is still an affordable option for attendees to spend an entire day or weekend having fun with friends or family.
“We offer shows, rides, concerts, and more,” says Meyer. “Parents could spend the day with their kids and then come back later to see the concert without kids.”
Attendees will receive a wristband that is valid for the entire day, allowing re-entrance.
To view a complete list of the events happening at the fair, visit www.brazosvalleyfair.com or the Brazos Valley Fair and Rodeo Facebook event page. Tickets are available online at a discounted cost of $12 for ages 13 and older; ages 12 & under are free. Tickets at the gate are $15. The Tractor Pull tickets are available online or at the gate and they are $10 for ages 13 and older.
Hours of Operation Kick-off Weekend: Oct. 12: 6:30am - 6pm Oct. 13: 12 - 6pm
Main Weekend: Oct. 18: 4pm - midnight Oct. 19: 10am - midnight Oct. 20: 12 - 11pm
