TRI-CITIES -- Looking for a great event to attend this weekend? Here are three that may tickle your fancy: 2024 Dinwiddie County Fair, Dachtoberfest and 3rd Annual Tri-Cities Artoberfest.
The Dinwiddie County Fair kicks off Friday, October 4 at the Virginia Motorsports Park. The celebration of community and fun includes fireworks, live music performances, thrilling rides, food, agricultural exhibits and family-friendly activities.
The fair operates on Friday, October 4 from 6 - 11 p.m., Saturday, October 5 from 11 a.m. - 11 p.m. and Sunday, October 6 from 1 p.m. - 6 p.m. On Sunday, Faith at the Fair and Military Appreciation Day will be featured. For more information about these initiatives as well as attractions such as Kid's Celebration, Lance Gifford Magic, Miss Molly Circle and Pompeyo Family Dog Show, activities, exhibits, contests and competitions and to purchase fair and carnival tickets in advance, visit discoverdinwiddie.com.
Dinwiddie County Fair has changed the admission price for the 2024 County Fair. To better enhance the fair experience, the entry fees transitioned from a carload pricing model to individual admission fees.
"Due to the rising costs of supplies, entertainment and operational expenses, we have made the decision to transition to a per-person admission model for the county fair," Stacey English, Marketing Manager for Dinwiddie County, said. "This change is essential to ensure that we can continue to provide a high-quality and enjoyable fair experience for all attendees. We appreciate the community's understanding and support as we make these necessary adjustments to maintain the fair's standards and offerings."
Sneak peek: Sleep, dine in historic gem Hotel Petersburg Hard Hat Tour: Social Butterfly shares experience, 60-plus images
Parking is free, and the new Dinwiddie County Fair admission prices are the following:
Virginia Motorsports Park is located at 8018 Boydton Plank Road. Visit discoverdinwiddie.com also for a link to view the 2024 County Fair Book which outlines all Dinwiddie Extension contests and exhibits.
On Saturday, October 5 at the Richmond Raceway Complex, the family-friendly Dachtoberfest returns for its third year. There will be even more dachshund-themed fun this year, however, all dogs are welcome. In addition to the wiener dog racing, Dachtoberfest will feature costume contests, raffles, vendors, food trucks, guest speakers, agility demonstrations and more.
Yummy way to help dogs, cats SPCA fundraiser: Spay-ghetti n' No Balls Dinner in Colonial Heights benefits animals
Races and costume contests will take place throughout the day and are open to all dachshunds in attendance. The schedule is as follows...
10:30 a.m. -- Vet Talk with Dr. Christopher Patterson, DVM and Lorrin Patterson: "The LONG and short of Wiener Dog Health and Happiness"
11:30 a.m. -- Wiener Dog Races, four divisions [$5 per dog to race):
1 p.m. -- Agility Demonstration with Zoom Room RVA by Shemeck Piatek
2 p.m. -- Costume Contest, five categories [Free and open to all dogs]:
Over 300 show cars, trucks, bikes Richard Bland College: Southern Knights Cruisers Car Show, arts & crafts vendors, food
3:20 p.m. -- Announcement of Longest and Shortest Doxie Winners
3:25 p.m. -- Announcement of Raffle and Silent Auction winners
3:55 p.m. -- Closing
Dachshund Enlightenment Foundation, a nonprofit focused on dachshund education, health and care, organized Dachtoberfest. The organization works to create an open dialogue to share information between dachshund owners, rescues, breeders and veterinarians.
Purchase the $10 tickets in advance at definc.org until Thursday, October 3 or $15 tickets at the door. Children ages 10 and under are free. Parking is also free. Dachtoberfest runs from 9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. on October 5 in the Old Dominion Building at the Richmond Raceway Complex at 600 East Laburnum Avenue in Richmond.
You are invited to the 3rd Annual Tri-Cities Artoberfest in Old Towne Petersburg. The free event on Sunday, October 6 is designed to bring together neighbors and community members for a day of artistic expression and festivities.
This year features stage performances by Los Hermanos Alacranes, Intensity Band and U&I Plus Latin Band. Guests may also enjoy interactive dance workshops with Sacred Heart Folklorico and Claves Unidos, a community drum circle with Capiku Cultural Performing Arts Center, art, kids activities as well as craft and maker vendors.
Food and beverages will be available for purchase from Furnace Pizza, Soul Rebel and Garden Grove Brewing and Urban Winery.
The following sponsors made Artoberfest possible: CultureWorks, Towne Bank, Homebase Credit Union, Visit Petersburg, Virginia, Aetna Health, Shockoe Records and In Your Ear Studios. Celebrate arts and culture in the Tri-Cities at this community event, part of artoberVA, a month-long celebration of arts and culture presented by CultureWorks.
Artoberfest is held at the Appomattox Iron Works located at 30 W. Old Street in Petersburg on October 6 from 3 - 7 p.m. Visit 3rd Annual Artoberfest on Facebook to learn more about the entertainment who will perform as part of the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month.
Kristi K. Higgins aka The Social Butterfly, an award-winning columnist, is the trending topics and food Q&A reporter at The Progress-Index voted the 2022 Tri-Cities Best of the Best Social Media Personality. Have a news tip on local trends or businesses? Contact Kristi (she, her) at [email protected], follow @KHiggins_PI on X and @socialbutterflykristi on Instagram.
Your support is vital to local journalism. Please subscribe.