Prince William County Fairgrounds — Local services in Manassas

⭐️⭐️ (and those are charity stars, mind you)

Well, wasn’t this a charming little exercise in daylight robbery disguised as a “fair.” Picture it: some crafts, a handful of animals in barns, questionable “entertainment,” and food stands apparently staffed by highway bandits.

Let’s start with the hydration situation. $3 for a bottle of water? Cute. $12 for water in the blazing heat? Now that’s a business model. Honestly, it would’ve been cheaper to check into a Virginia Beach hotel for a weekend and order room service. And the lemonade? Oh yes, that “FRESH” lemonade. If “fresh” means powdered mix, water, ice, and a lemon slice floating around like a life raft in a sea of chemicals — then sure, FRESH. Oh, and half-price refills? Only if you happen to stumble on the right stand. We, of course, did not. Naturally.

Now, the food stands. Prices displayed? Ha! Why would they need that when they can just surprise you at the till? My poor husband was nearly resuscitated on the spot when they charged almost $50 for a chicken piece with two sides, nuggets, and a small corn dog. I think for that price we should’ve at least gotten a handwritten thank-you note from the chicken itself.

Entrance fee? Check. No food or water allowed in? Check. Unless you’re a baby or medically fragile — otherwise, welcome to dehydration roulette!

The entertainment… oh my. We caught a lady doing a routine on some moon-shaped contraption. Let’s just say I’ve seen more enthusiasm from people waiting at the DMV. Enough said.

Now, for the good stuff — and I’m using that term generously. The demolition derby was actually fun! A bit small, sure, but smashing cars into each other is always a crowd-pleaser. The monster trucks? YES. So good, in fact, we went back a second time. You’d think we’d have learned, but no. And the cherry on top? My husband, an army vet, could apparently get in for free. Shame that little tidbit was hidden better than Waldo.

So, two stars. One for the demolition derby, one for the monster trucks. The rest? A masterclass in price gouging. Supporting small businesses is one thing; holding families hostage at $20-a-lemonade is another. And honestly, charging people for water in sweltering humidity? That’s not just greedy — that’s shameful.

My advice? Save your money. Unless, of course, you enjoy spending $50 on a chicken dinner that doesn’t even cluck...

We recently took the kids to the Virginia Reptile Show at the Prince William Fairgrounds, and it was quite the adventure! Admission was $10 for adults, while kids under 10 attended for free—a nice cost-saving perk. Since we had never been to a reptile show before, we weren’t quite sure what to expect. Our group included kids aged 3, 6, and 10, so we were looking forward to a fun, interactive experience. The event was held in a moderate-sized building, spacious enough for multiple vendors to display their reptiles in both small and large enclosures. As we explored, we quickly realized that this was more of a sales event than a show-and-tell experience. That said, some vendors were incredibly friendly and allowed us to hold snakes and even pet a porcupine! Alongside the reptiles, there were plenty of supplies, equipment, feeder insects, and rodents available for purchase. The variety of animals on display was impressive, including ball pythons, corn snakes, chameleons, tortoises, frogs, and other exotic pets. One of my personal favorites was the sugar glider—such a fascinating little creature! However, after learning about its care requirements, I quickly realized that I wasn’t prepared to provide the level of attention it needs. It was eye-opening to learn about the different pets, from those requiring minimal care to those needing extensive maintenance. In terms of being family-friendly, the event was open to all, but I wouldn’t necessarily consider it a go-to attraction for toddlers—especially if you're not looking to purchase an animal. That said, it was a unique and educational experience, and we made some great memories doing something out of the ordinary. Would we attend again? Maybe—but more so if we were in the market...

Went to the County Fair yesterday. It’s $25 per person and 15 for kids, PLUS you have to pay for the rides. You can buy a wrist band for $33 per person or buy credits which are put a on card that you scan at each ride. So for a family of five we paid over $200 just to get started!! We should have went to kings dominion for these prices. Let’s get into the food. You’ll easily pay another $100 to eat and add in the extra charge if you use a credit card for every transaction. You may want to bring cash to a life the up charge. Example, just for a lemonade it was $4, use a credit card and it’s $6. Throw in snacks and the games, that’s another $100 bucks. So now we are at $400 for the fair? Yup! The kids had a good time and so did we but make sure your pockets are ready.

They had a petting and feeding area with kangaroos, sheep, goats, rabbits etc;

There were bathrooms at both ends that could use some serious cleaning. Paper towel holders were broken.

The food was just okay with your typical hotdogs, hamburgers, corn dogs, pizza and there were a couple of vendors selling bbq, Asian cuisine, and tacos.

Definitely go around 5pm because any earlier on a hot summer day and you will...