West Virginia University will offer farm fresh fun with free fruit samples, prizes and Mountaineer souvenirs at the State Fair of West Virginia Aug. 14-22 in Fairlea, near Lewisburg.
WVU s fair activities are organized by the WVU Extension Service . Gold and blue traditions will be abundant at the fair, where WVU provides guests with hands-on activities, educational exhibits and fun giveaways for all ages.
Visitors can find most of the Universitys diverse activities in the WVU Building, however gold and blue fun also takes place in surrounding areas. The 4-H Council Circle, located outside of the WVU Building at 4-H Camp Fairlea offers a great taste of what WVU s 4-H summer learning programs are all about. At the 4-H Council Circle area, visitors can transplant themselves into rich West Virginia 4-H traditions. During the day, they will be invited to join in songfests, storytelling and games. Each evening, 4-H members will invite everyone to participate in a full Council Circle program. Besides offering activities at the Council Circle, 4-H Camp Fairlea also will feature hands-on experiences in the Underwood Youth Building. Fun choices include everything from working with computers to creating crafts.
Fair-goers can meet and greet the Universitys new president, James P. Clements , on Governors Day, Thursday, Aug. 20. WVU Building staff will be sporting Mountaineer colors.Fairgoers who arrive to the building early can get a free, white WVU t-shirt sporting WVU ’s theme for the Fair,”WVU: A Perennial Favorite.”Quantities are limited and are available on a first come, first served basis.
Also at the WVU Building is an exhibit of the NASA West Virginia Space Grant Consortium , which promises out-of-this-world fun for teachers, students, parents and anyone interested in science. Visitors can step on NASA s Solar System Scale to see how much they weigh on other planets, and spin the Solar Wheel, which could lead to unusual prizes, includingastronaut ice cream.
Those more down to earth, meanwhile, can try their hand at mining coal by testing their skill via the chocolate-chip cookie mining game, an interactive challenge developed by the National Research Center for Coal and Energy .
Gardeners and farmers will dig the AgrAbility booth, where visitors can experiment with adapted agricultural tools developed for people with disabilities. The Center for Excellence in Disabilities highlights the latest farm assistive devices; demonstrations and hands on activities will be available.
After mining and living like an astronaut, feel free to speed over to the Engineering booth in the WVU Building for a Baja Race Car demonstration.
Those with happy feet can dance away a pound or two via Dance Dance Revolution, an interactive video game provided by the College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences .
Among WVU Extensions many fair offerings will beHistory Hitting the Road,a 19th century fun station at Jacksons Mill . At this exhibit, people can try their hand at dipping candles, marbling paper, grinding corn and contemplating their role in nature as they make a Circle of Earth bracelet.
Fruit will be free for the picking at the WVU Extension Family Nutrition Programs exhibit promoting the statewidePick a better snackcampaign.
The latest WVU clothing and other merchandise will be available at Zides Sport Shop, which will be open in the WVU Building throughout the fair.
Fair-goers can also learn about many more WVU programs at exhibits offered by the College of Creative Arts ; College of Engineering and Mineral Resources ; National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium ; Student Affairs ; College of Human Resources and Education ; Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center ; Office of Undergraduate Student Recruitment; Davis College of Agriculture , Forestry and Consumer Sciences ; WVU Institute of Technology , and other units.
The schedule of events for 4-H Camp Fairlea, the WVU Building and other sites varies from day to day. For a full schedule of activities, times and dates, visit the WVU Extension Service Web site at www.ext.wvu.edu . While at the site be sure to check out our live footage from the Web cam.
More about the State Fair on the Net: www.statefairofwv.com ( http://www.wvstatefair.com/ )