We visited in September 2024 and I thought I had posted a review, but sometimes when I'm writing reviews in the car while in-transit, they get lost in the either, so here I am again! We didn't get an early start and by the time we arrived there were lines miles away from the entrances. Police were directing traffic down different streets toward different parking areas. So plan to arrive early. Parking is in grassy fields surrounding the fairgrounds and there is a *lot of it so plan to walk quite a way to and from your vehicle and to drive 'off road' for a bit. Definitely do not bring your sports car if you can help it because those fields have ruts. The road way we walked in on was dirt and they did have a tractor pulling a cart if you wanted a ride that went by occasionally. Strollers and/or wagons for the smaller ones if an absolute must. There are a few entrances into the fairgrounds so make note of which entrance you are parked near. There are maps of the fairgrounds available inside (we were not offered one upon entry) at an information kiosk we stumbled upon. They also have designated 'meet up' spots in case you get separated from members of your group so maybe find those and let the kids know where to meet up if they get lost. And we *did come across some lost children who were frightened out of their wits so please do let the little one's know what to do if they get separated from you. (Yes, someone helped them locate their family but it still breaks my heart see how scared they were.) We enjoyed our visit to the Deerfield Fair. Although we did not partake of any of their ride options, we very much enjoyed their farm demonstration and exhibits. From the pig barn to award winning veg and chutneys it's a lot of fun. We also took in some heavy stock pulling competition in one of the outdoor areas. I can assure you the shady side was full, so plan on getting a seat early if you need a rest and shade (or sun). I really enjoyed the roving Pirate dressed in full gear, playing pirate and nautical music on his motorized pirate ship. Brought a smile to my face! There are plenty of food options here. Definitely something for everyone and we tried a couple of options. It was a beautiful day and the fair was super busy so there were definitely lines for food no matter the time of day. The staff in the food trucks were all lovely even with all the crowds needing attention. We took a walk through the kids petting zoo, and a tent full of old tractors that was very interesting. They also had a demonstration of several old motorized farm equipment pieces. Whether you are here for historic farm equipment, modern rides, fair food, cow barns, pigs, award winning veg or tractor pulls, Deerfield Fair has you covered. Wear you walking shoes! read more

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The Deerfield Fair began in 1876 as a one day event; in 1930 it became a two day event; in 1945 it become a three day event; by 1950 it became a four day event. It's located on 100 acres and during those four days, it had approximately 100,000 visitors. I really enjoyed experiencing this historic fair. It happens annually every September and probably the largest fair I've been to. I love the autumn and New England setting; it just feels super New England. Parking was plentiful when we went but I can understand if people get lost since there were so many cars. Also, if you have a low frame car, becareful because there were tons of deep potholes under all that grass. There were so many vendor tents, activities, and events. There were horse shows, live music, circus, magic show, rides, fair food, and petting zoo to name a few. I really enjoyed the variety of foods; so many to choose from. There were tons and tons of people. My family and I had a great time. read more

Deerfield Fair - Since 1938 - Festivals Near Me - Deerfield, New Hampshire

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too many people staff don't know anything and I was bleeding after because the lots are full of weeds and prickly wood and leaves but the food is pretty good read more

Admission was $12pp. The rides are typical fair rides, about $3-7.50 per ride depending on the ticket bundle you buy. 40 for $40 was the best deal, though they also had 30 for $35, or each individual ticket for $1.50. All rides cost between 3 tickets and 5 tickets, though there looked like there may have been a couple more expensive, we just had to end the night early before we could figure it out :( Most of the rides were older, and the lines took upwards of 30 mins each ride. We waited in the line for the Ferris wheel for over 47 mins for a 4 min ride. Overall, it's what you expect to an extent going to a fair that's notoriously ill managed. Still fun, especially considering the people who put so much effort into the animals, crafts, 4H booth and all the best parts of the fair. All of the hand crafted goods made throwing up the gawd awful chicken pot pie from Ma's country kitchen worth it. I'm sorry to anyone in lot 3 who saw/heard me after my night was ruined by becoming violently ill after consuming that... less than desirable plate. I thought it tasted bad and wrote it off as a loss on my part, especially considering the plate was $16, and tried to continue on. About 10 mins later we were running for the gate as I had already tossed my cookies and I didn't want to ruin the fun for anyone else with the sound of my wrenching :/ ps the licorice lady deserves the world, her candies are the best and she's so nice :) read more

I want to say we love the fair, but the amusement rides left a bad taste. We bought two bands and then where told after the fact ($60.00) that the band don't work on all rides. Very disappointing for two kids that want to ride specific rides. When discussed it with ticket booth they said not our problem. You already bought the bands, and we don't make the rules. read more

Deerfield Fair - Festivals Near Me - Deerfield, New Hampshire

John C. 9/26/2019 I would like to applaud the fair for the construction of the new sheep pavilion building. I was amazed at the performance of the "Flying Wallendas" tightrope show highlighting the demonstration of the "Patriarch" of the group who is 69 years young, and who is as nimble as someone half that age. The reason I don't give 5 stars is because of the parking situation. The traffic was at a crawl from 107 south due to the herding of vehicles into the $5 premium parking lot. Fair goers had to cross the street and wait in a line 100 long to enter the fair. I double backed and entered the fairgrounds through the normal free parking entrance, that most vehicles did not enter. We then entered the fair through gate "F" with only 2 couples ahead of us. I was disappointed that the administration would steer people into the $5 premium parking lot. read more

Crowded, dusty, screaming kids, and overpiced. Skip this one if you can.

It's not my favorite fair and not very big. They focus a lot on shows, tractors, and farming whereas I love the product demos and fun "worlds fattest man" type of exhibits. It's very rural in nature but parking is free and there's not a very high price to get in. Food is expensive as always. I did the whole fair in a few hours. I didn't like any of the entertainment- like the acrobat or dog shows. They were quite boring to me. The bathroom lines are insane. Pee before you go and don't drink anything at the fair. Veterans go for free! read more

Just got back from here a few hours ago. This place was Awesome! It was my first time here and I hate to admit because I'm a huge topsfield guy, but I think it was actually better then topsfield. There's so much to do and so so much for the kids. It was only 10 bucks to get in and it was free for my kid. (Any kid under 13 was free) The parking was also free which was great because topsfield charges you 10 bucks just to park and 16 bucks to get in. This place had a ton of animals from sheep to kangaroos and everything in between. One thing you will notice here is the amount of food they have is crazy. It felt like there were 100's of food stands with so many things to choice from. All kinds of arts and crafts things and a ton of other things you can buy. Overall it's great for the family and highly recommend it, only disappointing things it is is only there for a few days. read more

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Once you hit the traffic it will take you 2 hours to go 5 miles. I couldnt believe how long it took. Once you get there its okay. The ride section is not very good. I didnt see any games where you can win prizes or any games in general. You would have to pay me to go again. This experience ruined fairs for me. Save yourself from hours and hours of traffic and dont go! read more

Wonderful New England fall fun! Haven't been to a fair in years and we really enjoyed this down home New Hampshire experience! Great fun for all. read more

Deerfield Fair has ALL that I'm looking for , in a true New England fair. It's a must-see ! If it's a rainy day, STILL go ! The crowds aren't as thick . Just pull on your galoshes and have a blast ! read more

Fair was great. One star Getting to the fair was miserable. No one was directing traffic. It was a two hour back up from the 3 mile point. The fair needs people to direct traffic into the park. I will never go again. read more

I have been going to the Deerfield Fair for many years. It never gets old! Enjoy the many exhibits including art, floral, animals, petting zoo, and more! Experience the actual competitions of the Work Horses, Tractors, and best categories for sheep, cows, pigs, etc. The Horse Shows that are included in your general admission fee are awesome.. a schedule which includes jumpers, trotters, even the old horse and buggy races!! Food and more Food ( like the rat in Charlotte's Web)! Even have a small circus performance as well as a amusement area filled with rides. Something for everyone! Don't miss out on this great experience. Get the most out of it by planning for the entire day and looking at the scheduled shows and contests in advance via the website. See you at the Fair! read more

A great fair with a combination of shows, fair food, animals and carny attractions that will suit anyone. I made the mistake this year of going on a Saturday afternoon. Big mistake. It was so crowded it reminded me of the old Star Trek episode where Kirk is on an overpopulated planet and everyone is shuffling a step at a time because there is no room to move. Definetly put this on your to do list but go on Thursday of Friday or early in the day on the weekend. read more

Growing up in southern nh, everyone goes to the deerfield fair. they even hand out discount coupons to the kids at school. because everyone did it, i usually didnt. :) i have gone back about twice since i left NH, and the last time was yrs ago, but i know its the same. lots of animals - cows, sheep, large horses, bunnies, goats, etc... which are cute to look at. then that gets old.. lots of expensive, bad for you food, you might as well pig out though... rickedy carnival rides... rodeos... crafts, large vegetables, kids pictures from the local schools... if you are anywhere near the area and you've never gone to an agricultural fair - go! it's such new england flavor! fun, corny, do it once, twice, but you wont want to go too often. read more

First time there and have to say it was fair at best. The weather was great at 92 degrees holy smokes. I think the word fair is kinda overrated. It has become more of a flea market with a zillion repeating food vendors.. I would like to see a greater concentration of crafts and exhibits. This fair has a long history and needs to scale down the food to exhibit ratio. Ticket prices at 10 dollars was reasonable. read more

One of the best country fairs! Been going there since the 60s. For families, lots of animals for the kids to see, up close. Be sure to take them to the poultry barn where they can buy a cup of food ($.50) to feed to the chickens, who happily await the handouts. Many rides for children, especially younger children. Sorry, I don't know the pricing for the rides. Lots of exhibits: 4-H, flowers, crafts, etc. Many concessions for shopping, with a lot of items made by NH folks. Events like horse pulling and new this year, the ladies frypan toss which I unfortunately didn't get to see, but sounds like fun. They put on an excellent horse show, with a good variety of breeds. There are 2 large grandstands which make for a nice place to watch the show while enjoying your food. Food is the really big draw! I was disappointed this year when I learned my favorite vendor, Kevin's Lobster Land, was gone. His stand was always my first stop- he is missed! But there are a couple of other seafood stands, including the restaurant that took over Kevin's spot. Fair favorites include sausage subs and steak & cheese; fries and onion blossoms, home made ice cream, apple crisp (my fave is Pat's Apple Crisp, $4.00 for apple crisp made right there, with ice cream. You can't go wrong), whoopie pies that range from traditional size to jumbo, kettle corn, and fudge. Everything in between of course, chowders in bread bowls, burgers, cotton candy, cider donuts, etc. Like another poster said, this fair doesn't have the commercialism of the Big E, and it remains a true agricultural fair. Acres of free parking, free entertainment, and beautiful setting under pine trees so you can get out of the sun if you need to. read more

This is the one fair we go to every year. It has lots of what makes a fair a fair and not a carnival. Lots of animals, tractors, four H exhibits and horse shows. The have a little circus, quite a few rides and a ton of food. Parking is free and they have a couple of days where you can buy a wrist band for the rides. I would recommend this fair to everyone! read more

We love the fact that Deerfield has not become one big commercialized place like the Big E. There are great shows for entertainment and it is a genuinely good old fashioned fair with many shows and animals and things to see. the history of the fair is nice to review. so interesting to see how things were long ago. a great fair and reasonably priced in this day and age. We go almost every year from MA. read more

This fair is great and my family and I have been going to it since I was very little and everything about this fair is great! We used to pick pearls every year but the pearl place has since left and that's a bummer. The food there is mostly great as they have apple crisp, turkey legs, apple cider donuts and a whole lot more. The only reason I'm rating for this past year is because someone screwed up big time with directing traffic this past 2018. We were stuck in traffic for over 3/4 hours just waiting to get in. And getting out was even more ridiculous! We had to wait another 3/4 hours just to get out! Traffic has never been this bad and also people were rude. When you are all waiting to get to the fair or to get out please let's be nice to one another instead of being stupid and cutting other people off that have been waiting for hours. Thanks. read more

Bought tickets online and headed to the fair last night. It took us 2 1/2 hours which is normally a 30 minute drive and we were still 3 miles away. I had enough and retuned home. Poorly run but they are ok with taking your money. I asked for a refund to a fair that I didn't attend BECAUSE of lack of infrastructure and was told "sorry no refunds". Are you kidding me. Take some of that money and make the traffic better. THE FAIR AND THE PEOPLE WHO RUN IT NEED TO TAKE A SEROIUS LOOK AT THIS HUGE PROBLEM. NOT RIGHT. read more

I would not know how the fair was this year, after sitting in stop and go traffic for two hours, we turned around and went home. What a disappointment . . . . read more

Kind of brutal in some ways, like the kids chasing pigs for fun in what they call a Pig Scramble. Not fun to hear little pigs scream, obviously pigs do not enjoy being chased. Sad cows in cow barn. Not an example of humane treatment of animals - My kids were so over this fair in short time wanted to go. Crappy food - crappy rides. Long time ago maybe nice but now just grubby Much better Fairs out there - cleaner, more and better rides, more for your $$$ without using animals to entertain people as the animals scream and run away. read more

I usually always went to the Topsfield Fair but i heard good things about Deerfield so i decided to try it out. I went in 2008 on a somewhat rainy day, which was awesome because it was dead. The place is HUGE. If you like fairs you'll be happy with this one. Yes it is expensive but so isn't every fair, i don't know why people are surprised. They have WAY more animals then Topsfield does. A huge poultry Barn, Cow barn, Sheep barn, Horse Barn, Everything! The food is alright but that's where i like topsfields better. It could take you a long time to see everything and not miss it. The vendors were good and there midway wasnt that big, which i liked, i could care less for the rides. The agriculture is there if that's what your looking for. The horse shows are amazing too. I want to go again, its just at a bad time every year but im going this year~! read more

Overall experience was great, however their restrooms were terrible, rust stained toilets and rusty water coming out of sinks, having attendants their just to tip was a joke! read more

Very poorly run this year. Went to get our tickets at the gate and they inform us the tickets are cash only and would have to get cash from an ATM at the fair. We waited in line at the ATM for 30 min and were then informed all the ATMS at the fair were OUT of money. The families in front of us had traveled 2 hours from mass with their little kids and in no advertisement does it mention the tickets are cash only. There aren't even signs up when waiting in line for the tickets. Everyone was then told they could not get into the fair without cash so 50 or so people waiting had to leave after waiting hours to get into the fair. Shame on whoever runs this fair, complete waist of time and money traveling to get there to get turned away at the gate! read more

Deerfield Fair is an excellent New England fair. Lots of agricultural exhibits; all kinds of livestock; a good variety of live shows and demonstrations; championship horse and oxen pulling and lots of good food. Admission is under $10 and parking is plentiful and free. The midway is separated from the rest of the fair so you don't have to listen to the noise and confusion from that when enjoying the other areas. Restrooms are clean and the fair patrons are a better class than you find at some other honky-tonk type fairs. I've been to quite a few fairs and this is by far the best and most enjoyable. read more