By Preston Knight -- Daily Staff Writer

WOODSTOCK — People will need to wait another year to see the largest addition to the Shenandoah County Fair in years.

The new 4-H and FFA livestock show barn, with 17,500 square feet under roof, was scheduled to open for this year's fair, which runs from Friday through Aug. 30. Weather and building permit issues, however, have slowed the construction process, and the barn, which will be used to show and sell livestock, will not be ready until 2009, said Tom Truban, a member of the fair's board of directors.

"You can't rush it or you won't do a good job," he said.

Once the barn does open — a 5,000-square-foot wing with about 80 pens will be in use to keep sheep and goats this year — it will provide much-needed space to showcase livestock, Truban said.

"We've needed one for the last five, 10 years," he said.

Contributions toward the project, which may cost about $400,000, are going well, Truban said. An official name for the building has yet to be determined. Without the new barn the fair will go on, offering a few new activities and another full slate of music.

The fair association has been focusing heavily on Wednesday, veterans day at the fairgrounds, fair manager Marcy McCann said. There will be a Blackhawk helicopter landing at 9 a.m., a performance by the Fort Lee Dixieland Band from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. that can be free with a redeemable token, and an appearance by Buck and Bill Pattillo, twins who were founding members of the Air Force Thunderbirds.

All veterans and active duty personnel get in free to the fair that day.

Also Wednesday, a Dale Earnhardt Jr. car is scheduled to be present. McCann said she wasn't sure if it was a show car or race car.

"I do know it makes a heck of a lot of noise," she said.

McCann is also excited about the fair's concert lineup — country acts Little Big Town on Sunday, Rodney Atkins on Wednesday and Billy Currington on Aug. 28, and classic rock group Foreigner on Aug. 29.

"How could you beat our concert lineup?" she said.

Foreigner, which had its performance at the fair rained out two years ago, will be offering more than just music.

The rock group asked to work with a charity, McCann said, which led to a deal with the local American Red Cross to give free CDs to the first 50 people who donate blood the day of the concert. An even bigger prize could await someone who participates in the group's "Air Guitar for My Guitar" contest.

Foreigner is taking its mobile recording studio to select sites, including Woodstock. People who register to participate play air guitar for a chance to win an autographed guitar from group founder Mick Jones, to be presented at Foreigner's New Year's Eve concert in Hawaii. Registration is free and can be done the day of the concert.

McCann said tickets are still available for all shows.

Also at the grandstand will be the usual — two demolition derbies on Monday and Tuesday, and a tractor pull Saturday — and the new, Dave Martin's Bullride Mania rodeo on Friday and professional FMX Motorcross on Aug. 30.

Some of the new features to the fair will be 78 recycling bins for cardboard and plastic, demonstrations by Americraft cookware, concession stands offering Greek and Thai food, and a 35-foot-long, 15-foot-wide inflatable tug-of-war exhibit from the National Guard.

"I just ask when you drag me across the line, you make it look like it was really hard," McCann said.

For more information about the fair, call 459-3867 or visit www.shencofair.com.

* Contact Preston Knight at pknight@nvdaily.com