West Virginia University will offer a cornucopia of free hands-on activities, prizes and souvenirs at the State Fair of West Virginia Aug. 8-16 in Fairlea, near Lewisburg.
Organized by the WVU Extension Service , the Universitys fun-filled harvest is designed for West Virginians of all ages and features exhibits, displays and activities from more than 20 schools and departments.
Fair-goers will find a diverse menu of free activities in the WVU Building, Underwood Youth Building, 4-H Council Circle, barns and show rings.
New this year is 4-H Camp Fairlea, which will serve up a taste of WVU s nationally recognized 4-H summer learning programs .
At the newly constructed 4-H Council Circle area, all 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.
Those of an inquisitive bent can discover how cool science can be at the WVU Building, where the NASA West Virginia Space Grant Consortium promises out-of-this-world fun for teachers, students, parents and anyone interested in science.
They can step on NASA s Solar System Scale to see how much they weigh on other planets, then spin the Solar Wheel, where the correct answer could win them unusual prizes, includingastronaut ice cream.
Those more down to earth, meanwhile, can try their hand at mining coal by testing their skill via the ever-popular chocolate-chip cookie mining game, an interactive challenge developed by the National Research Center for Coal and Energy . They can then move over to NRCCE sSpinergygame, which will entice them to spin the wheel, learn about energy and win a prize.
Gardeners and farmers will dig the AgrAbility booth, where visitors can experiment with adapted agricultural tools developed for people with disabilities.
They can also test how much they know about flowers �€and win another prize �€at the Extended Learning booth.
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 be Jacksons Mill sHistory Hitting the Road19th century fun station, where people may 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 Program s 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 ; National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium ; Student Affairs ; Appalachian Farming Systems Research Center; 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 .
More about the State Fair on the Net: www.statefairofwv.com