From tradition to growth: Shenandoah Downs celebrates $2 million expansion

Harness racing in Virginia has weathered more than a century at the Shenandoah County Fairgrounds. On Friday, that tradition turns a new page when state and local leaders cut the ribbon on a $2 million, 172-stall barn, a project the Virginia Equine Alliance (VEA) calls a landmark step in securing the sport’s future in the state.

The ceremony takes place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday at the fairgrounds in Woodstock.

The investment highlights how Woodstock became the sport’s lifeline. When Colonial Downs, in New Kent, closed in 2014, harness racing in Virginia nearly vanished. The VEA turned to the Shenandoah County Fairgrounds, one of the last remaining vestiges of the sport in Virginia, to keep the industry alive. A decade later, Shenandoah Downs has grown from 10 race days to 28, provin