Last summer, back in the good old days, we were touring a bunch of great spots in Maryland, and there happened to be a county fair in the area. Aliyah Rose had never been to a fair! So of course she insisted that we provide a suitable escort of bodyguards, er, cousins, and trot right on over to the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair, outside Washington, DC. (Good news everybody, it looks like the 2020 Fair is a “Go” for August 14-22. Check their calendar at http://mcagfair.com/calendar/.)
Parking was a minor adventure, as we were directed to park at a nearby shopping center and took a shuttle over. Aliyah loves busses, trolleys, and ALL forms of transportation, so this was just an added bonus as far as she was concerned.
Once we got there, we were immediately treated to a display of really cool antique tractors, setting the mood for a fun and educational outing. You could tell these machines have been lovingly restored and cared for. Later on we saw possibly these same tractors in a motor parade through the center of “town.” There were plenty more of these classic workhorses throughout the show, and Aliyah would have liked to ride one if she could have found the keys laying about. She did enquire, but no dice.
Next up, some old-timey engines and what-such, including a water pump operated by a gas engine. If you look closely in the pic below, you’ll see that the water pump is actually working, with water coming out. Awesome demo! Just keep those fingers away from the belt.
Gasoline engine powers a small water pump. 
More old-time farming equipment and tools here. Fascinating!
After we explored the tools and equipment, we came across a low building devoted to judged artwork, mostly by kids of all ages. Those youngsters clearly have some real talent, so kudos to them! Aliyah wanted to look at Every. Single. Artwork. And she wanted to know if she could do those kinds of pictures, figures, etc. herself. Little minds get major inspiration here!
Pig races were held several times each day, and we were lucky enough to get a good spot to capture the action, from getting the pigs started up, seeing them around the track, and witnessing the exciting conclusion to each competition. And the piggies got treats for each race, so happiness was achieved by all! Aliyah seemed a little uncertain about when to wave and show excitement, but she may have been a little overwhelmed by all the noise and general excitement. Sometimes it’s a bit hard to follow the action when you’re only three. 🙂
Now, as many of you already know, Old McDonald had a farm. And on his farm there was a barn:
And in this barn there were some cows:
…and some goats…
…and a llama…
… and a bunch of chickens and bunny rabbits. There was even a little area where children could pet the bunnies.
That’s a lot of bunnies and chickens! 
Don’t stick your fingers in the cages! 
Aliyah demonstrates how to pet a bunny gently.
We came across a working dairy barn, which housed a number of different breeds of cows, and even dairy goats! We were able to walk through and chat with the professionals and learn where our milk comes from. Aliyah was able to get reasonably close to several cows and ask the dairy farmers why cows eat hay? She thought having four stomachs was hilarious. Aliyah was a bit skeptical about this hay-eating business, but seeing is believing. She could see the cows, horses, and goats munching happily on their hay. I don’t think she will try this at home anytime soon though. Not as long as there are “dessert tomatoes” to be had!
Inside we met the milk cows and dairy goats. 
Happy cows give the best milk!
We came across a 4-H building, which was closed at the time. However, this was a great opportunity to tell Aliyah about the 4-H organization. The four H’s used to stand for “Head, Heart, Hands and Health” but we couldn’t find that on their website, so maybe they forgot? Anyhoo, 4-H was born in 1902 as The Tomato Club (or Corn Growing Club?) and was renamed to 4-H in 1912. So it’s been around a lot longer than Grams or even Great-Grams. 4-H provides hands-on learning for kids age 5+ because actually doing stuff is the best way to learn. They used to be mainly dedicated to teaching kids about agricultural science and knowledge, but they seem to have diversified to a wider range of topics over the decades. They have an online activity guide for kids at home, but they want your email address to get it. That way they can send you junk mail for the rest of your natural life, you lucky dog. Grams doesn’t like this clever trick, and she doesn’t care for the frequent pop-ups asking for money. In a nutshell, 4-H is a great organization with an annoying website.
There were a number of informational booths, such as the ones shown below. We stopped by several of them so Aliyah could ask questions. Most of those questions weren’t entirely relevant, like “Do you have candy?” but some of them were on target. Like “What is a conservation?” Happily, many of the booths had both great info, AND goodies for our tiny explorer.
Was there any shopping available? What a question! Of COURSE there was shopping, like crafts and such. Our favorite shop was the hand-blown glass. Aliyah loved the bright colors and beautiful shapes. Look at those pumpkins! Those sunflowers! Grams wanted them all, but Aliyah mainly wanted the pumpkins. Maybe when you’re bigger, dumpling!
Who doesn’t love hand-blown glass!? Such skill! 
Don’t you love these intense colors?
What about hands-on activities? Well, how about the pony ride! It isn’t long, but Aliyah Rose didn’t mind. She LOVED riding the pony, and didn’t mind being led by a total stranger, since both her grandparents and three tall, imposing cousins/bodyguards were hovering nearby. She enjoyed patting the pony, and followed instructions properly – hold the pommel, don’t jump around, be nice to the pony, that kind of stuff.
After riding a real pony, it might not seem as exciting to ride a hay bale dressed up as a giant sheep, but Aliyah was game, and loved sitting so high up. She didn’t want to come down, the scamp!
There was even more to see and do than Grams can fit into one blog, but maybe we’ll write a “Part 2” if there are enough good pics that demand attention. We’ll see.
Of course we were all careful to pick up after ourselves and use the recycling & trash receptacles provided. Gotta keep things clean for the little ones!
Aliyah’s Review
At the end of this long, long day, Aliyah Rose was too tuckered out to even tell us how much she liked the fair and fell asleep in the car and had to be carried to her bed. But the next day she raved to her Nana (Great Grandmother) about her favorite parts – the bunny rabbits, pony ride, the ferris wheel, and so much more! Two little thumbs up!
About the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair
Website: http://www.montcofair.com/
Location:
Montgomery County Agricultural Center
501 Perry Parkway
Gaithersburg, MD 20877
Phone: (301) 926-3100
Directions: http://mcagfair.com/general-information/directions/
References
- Montgomery County Fair Website: http://www.montcofair.com/
- 4-H Website: 4-h.org