Finding a parking place at the Rockingham County Fair this summer will be much easier than in years past. The Rockingham County Fairgrounds in Harrisonburg added 7 acres of new parking area in 2014 and will add an additional 9 acres this year. The goal is to increase overall parking capacity at the fairgrounds while promoting farmland preservation.
“This is a significant increase in parking capacity,” said Jeff Ishee, GM at the Rockingham County Fair Association. The new “Keep It Green” lot adjacent to the main entrance is being rented from a neighboring farm on a multi-year basis. It is expanding from 7 acres to 13 acres, while another 3 acre parcel formerly idled has been cleared and graded for additional parking near Gate 4. Attendance at the 2013 and 2014 Fairs set new records at 88,885 and 91,595 people respectively.
The “Keep it Green” parking lot will only be utilized for parking during the week of the annual County Fair (August 17-22, 2015). The remainder of the year it will be used to produce hay as feed for livestock.
“Our mission statement requires us to promote agriculture and be a leader in the presentation and promotion of farm life and food production,” said Ishee. “This is a win-win situation for visitors, the Fair Association, and agriculture. Visitors to the Fair get additional parking area close to the gates and the land remains in productive agriculture.”
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