Pictured above: DeWitt House (right) presents Roger Adams, director of Henry County Parks and Recreation, with a $10,000 Pick Up the Pace! grant to support development of the Henry County Agricultural Fair.
A $10,000 Pick Up the Pace! grant from The Harvest Foundation to the County of Henry will help the Henry County Agricultural Fair kick off its planning and development.
The grant primarily will be used to develop promotional items, design a logo for the event, website development and advertising to jump-start work with a planning committee.
“A county fair has the potential to become an important economic driver for our community,” said DeWitt House, senior program officer at The Harvest Foundation. “We applaud the County of Henry for working to establish a community celebration that we hope will draw fair-goers from across Martinsville-Henry County and the region.”
House added that county staff has worked hard to reach out to various organizations throughout the community and beyond for grassroots support to develop the fair. There’s also a state organization, the Virginia Association of Fairs, that provides support to existing and newly created fairs across the state, he said.
Roger Adams, director of Henry County Parks and Recreation, said he is excited to jump into the next phase of development for the fair.
“The Henry County Fair is scheduled to launch in early fall of 2021 and there is much planning and work to be done to make this happen,” he said. “The fair will be a fun and exciting event for our local community and will also attract tourism dollars by bringing in out of town guests. On behalf of Henry County Parks and Recreation, we are excited to receive this grant and get to work on an event that will advertise our community and be another tool in our tourism toolbox.”
According to the grant application, the Henry County Board of Supervisors stated in its goals for 2019-2020 to bring the Henry County Agricultural Fair to fruition. Typical attractions for fairs include agricultural exhibits, midway rides, games, concerts, food, pageants, animals, demolition derbies and rodeos.
Strategic partners include the Virginia Association of Fairs, Henry County Board of Supervisors, the Martinsville Speedway, Henry County Parks and Recreation, and the Henry County Agricultural Fair Planning Committee.
The Harvest Foundation’s Pick Up the Pace! grants program is a competitive, small grants program designed to engage people and organizations in sparking innovative ideas, collaborations and change in Martinsville and Henry County. These six-month grants for up to $10,000 are available for application year-round. To find out more, visit www.theharvestfoundation.org or call (276) 632-3329.
