The 74th Annual Montgomery County Agricultural Fair, which calls itself “the nine best days of summer,” returns to the Montgomery County Agricultural Center in Gaithersburg with a full schedule of daily activities from Aug. 11-19. Among the special events are the Chesapeake DockDogs canine aquatics competition on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 11 and 12, and truck drag racing on Monday, Aug. 14.
The fairgrounds are located at 506 Perry Parkway in Gaithersburg. Exhibitions of animals, outstanding farm products and photography are available throughout the fair.
General admission is $15 for adults if bought on-site or $12 if bought online. Children 11-and-under are admitted free. There are several special admission days. Online tickets are available at https://mcagfair.com/general-information/tickets/. Tickets for rides, games and food are additional.
Parking is $15 on the fairgrounds property. However, free parking and shuttle bus service to the fairgrounds are available from nearby Lakeforest Mall, which is located at Lost Knife Road and Odenhal Avenue.
Among the special days at the fair are “Family Days” on Monday, Aug. 14, and Wednesday, Aug. 16. Sponsored by Sunbelt Rentals, those days allow for purchase of $25 all-day rides (the Air Raid is not part of the package). “Senior Day” on Tuesday, Aug. 15, which is sponsored by Adventist Health Care Shady Grove Medical Center, provides for free admission to seniors 62-and-over until 5 p.m. “Military Day” on Thursday, Aug. 17, which is sponsored by the U.S. Army – Renegade Monster Truck Tour, allows for free admission for active military in uniform or with a valid military ID through 5 p.m.
The Montgomery County Agricultural Fair was born out of the desire of 4-H leaders to provide a show for the 4-H members in Montgomery County. This would allow 4-H members to exhibit their prize livestock, garden and home economics projects to the community. Their initial meeting occurred in 1945. Today, the Montgomery County Fair is one of the largest county fairs in Maryland.
The Montgomery County Agricultural Center Inc. (MCAC) was formed as a privately operated 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization in 1949 after purchasing 64 acres of land adjacent to the railroad tracks from Herman Rabbitt, a successful farmer and landowner in Gaithersburg. Hundreds of volunteers soon participated in an old-fashioned barn raising and 12 outbuildings were constructed in one day, creating the site for the Montgomery County Agricultural Center.
More than 2,000 volunteers continue to provide their time, making the agricultural center a vital part of the business community in Montgomery County. The nine-day Agricultural Fair that is held in mid-August requires support from more than 800 volunteers who assume the responsibility for organizing and producing the single largest annual event in Montgomery County.
