Washington County Fair

I love it, but I wish that they would continue to improve. I saw over the years that they began to improve in ways and was getting excited that they were becoming bigger and better. Last year was a disappointment. Most of the staff theat I met there didn’t show an interest that they wanted to be there. The number of animals also went back down as did some attractions.

This medium sized classic New England agricultural fair draws big crowds, so word to the wise — go early to avoid ruining your trip down as the line in snakes all the way back to the I-​95 exit, creating a maddening «close yet so far» crawl into the fairgrounds parking lot, with it’s single entrance. Once safely ensconced inside, you’ll find the usual repertoire of fair staples. Find your way to the country store, where for a dollar you can have a ginormous and delicious traditional half sour pickle. Food offerings are reasonable, and the exhibits and entertainment are fairly standard, with little to distinguish. For those liking the thrill of the amusement rides, the Midway is relatively large for a fair this size. For a better overall fair experience, try Durham, Brooklyn or Woodstock (all in CT). And of course, there’s always the Big E. All told, we’ll probably happen back here every 3 yrs or so.

Bloomin’ Onion!
Like all Fairs — fooooood is amazing! Don’t come here if you’re halfway into your diet already. No way.
Corn fritters! Smoked Turkey leg! Lemonade! Can’t go wrong. It’s always a good time here. I was fortunate enough to be working at the fair so I got to enjoy it at all hours for several days. It was always a good time!

Great family fun! Can’t wait till next year!

My biggest problem is the road in. On a Sunday, it is exactly one hour from the time you get off the highway until you hit the parking lot. And that’s for about a 3 mile drive. That in itself had me in a horrific mood by the time I got there.
Once you get inside, it’s redneck central. If you’re a big fan of that kind of thing, it’s great. Monster trucks, «tractors» racing around an oval, but all so loud that small children don’t want to go anywhere near that half of the fair.
The chickens and pigs and cows and all that are neat. The rings to see the agricultural events are way too small though. People were standing five deep, so there was no way to see anything.
Very few bathrooms but at the one main bathroom, the line moved at a decent pace.
All food options are very carnival, ie. fried. Probably the closest thing to a healthy option was strawberry shortcake on a stale cake.
Why do people walk around fairs and carnivals like they are the only one there? Just zipping around and expecting their family of five to keep up? And of course little seven year old Johnny just has to go in front of you to keep up with sprinting mom.
Two sets of rides areas, one for the smaller kids and one for people more adult size. Each has probably 5 rides or so, that you need tickets for. The game barkers were pretty aggressive too. There are vendors selling stuff, but I didn’t find any of them to be aggressive at all. Maybe because it was the last day and they were all tired of being there.
All the Fair staff seemed to be very friendly. No complaints there.
All that being said, I probably would go back, but never, NEVER on a weekend. It’s a Wednesday through Sunday event, so next time it’s Wednesday or Thursday for me. This traffic was just a nightmare. And it wasn’t one time of the day either. I got in it at noon and when I left at 4:30, it was actually worse for the people heading in.

A good country fair. Worth a trip.

Love the Washington County Fair and try to go every year.
Parking is free and there is a $ 10 entrance fee. Too much for a small fair, you say? Consider that with that fee you get a daily concert of some country band/​singer. The ones on the weekend are names you’ve at least heard of and most likely had some hits — this year it was Crystal Gale and Chuck Wicks. We’ve also seen Pam Tillis.
The area for the concert is ideal. A natural ampitheatre on a small hill faces the stage. You bring in your own lawn chairs or blankets. Even if country is not your fave style, it’s still a good time and everyone is having a blast. When the music isn’t playing, this area is a perfect spot to relax in the shade (big pine trees cover the area) and chow down on all the yummy food offerings.
Everything from johnny cakes to doughboys to dynamites to… welll you name it! My personal fave are the addictive corn fritters… mmmmm.
This year there was a really good cover band playing in the food area for a few hours — good for background listening.
My few gripes? no horses except when they’re showing them. Also, some of the food prices are a bit steep for families. You can eat cheap, but you have to work at it a bit!

Good country fun

Wow, what can you say about Washington County Fair? It is a truly unique experience especially for all you city dwellers. What could be better than tractor pulls, horse pulls, arm wrestling, dung throwing, pig tackling, rooster crowing, chainsaw carving, country music dancing hoe-​down!!!
Why, people watching, of course!
There’s also your diverse selection of arts and crafts, some fantastic food venues as well as a variety of typical carnival rides and games. You’ll find plenty of RI-​made wares and foods. Doughboys, johnnycakes, and an assortment of ethnic foods too! There’s nothing quite like fair and carnival food that reminds you of being a kid.