The 2015 Montgomery County Fair is wonderful. Worth every penny of the $10 admission fee…read more The agricultural exhibitions are heartwarming. Seeing the 4-H kids care for and show their livestock is a privilege. These youngsters are carrying on a tradition that the USA mightily needs. The farm animals are adorable and many can be petted. Just talking with the Maryland farm families is fabulous. This year's food and drink vendors do not disappoint. Here's my recommendations: Be sure and get a grilled cheddar cheese sandwich sold at The Big Cheese booth. They're made right before your eyes and come out hot and gooey. Hands down this is THE BEST food item this year. The meals for sale at two competing church booths--St. Francis of Assisi Catholic and Germantown United Methodist--feature some highly respectable pulled-meat BBQ sandwiches (both chicken and pork), along with some killer fries. There's a vendor selling large ears of freshly roasted corn that be can dipped (or not) in butter before purchase. A condiment table offers all kinds of salts, hot sauces and cheese toppings. The roasting of the corn makes it nutty-tasting and plumps up the kernels. I could not finish my ear because it was so huge, and was depressed beyond words. Freshly-squeezed lemonade for sale all over the fairgrounds is tart, refreshing and addictive. The free entertainment is out of the ordinary and fun: piglet races; magic acts; a "chainsaw chick" who creates impressive works of art from wood; local dance troupes, etc. You name it, it's here. Of course no fair is complete without rides and amusements and the "Carnival" section has something for all ages seeking thrills. The high-flying swing ride is wildly popular. But you better act fast. This edition of the Montgomery County Fair closes at midnight on Sunday, August 23, 2015.

The 2016 fair is so-so. It's kind of a scam if you're not really careful about how much you spend…read more You can park at Lakeforest Mall and take the ''shuttle'' to the fairgrounds (it's just a school bus), and then you pay $10/person to get in, plus payment for tickets OR a $15 wristband on wristband days to ride all the rides you want as long as you get there before 5:00PM. So if you get wristbands, you're already at $25/person. If you get food and drinks, that's easily another $20-$30/person extra because the food and drinks are crazy overpriced. Fries for $7? A corn dog for $8? Lemonade for $5? It's insane. The games are an entirely different ball game. AVOID them. The people running the games will taunt you as you walk by and make you want to play but don't. They're all rip-offs. $5/game seems reasonable but it's really not because you're tempted to keep playing until you win something and before you know it you've spent $30. Plus, that $5 doesn't even give you much - 3 basketballs at the shoot-out games and 3 darts at the balloon ones. Again, it's insane. The rides, on the other hand, are actually not bad. Some of them are uncomfortable and rickety, but the others are pretty smooth and thrilling. Getting the wristband is a good investment because getting tickets if you wanna ride a lot of rides ends up being more expensive. Expect lines. And if it rains, the rides will definitely close down. The agricultural stuff is okay. I didn't see a petting zoo this time, but there is a rabbit house and barns where they keep cows and pigs and chickens. It's cool and all but beware of the smell and the nasty pathways.

First time attending 420 festival, I enjoyed music by action Bronson and my boy ludacris, I brought…read moretickets online, I heard people looking for tickets outside venue, because they were sold out, that happened to me last year, so I was prepared for this year. They could have done better with traffic, no officers directing traffic, so that was a nightmare getting into event, not to mention ncf, could have done a better job putting information on map what lot parking was going to be in, trying to find the lot to park in was hell , as well as parking was $20, overall I had a good experience, can't wait to see what headliners are for next year.

Small carnival located in parking lot 6 of RFK. $5 entry fee. No charge for parking, and there's…read moreplenty of it. Standard fair games. Standard carnival food like deep fried Oreos, corn dogs. They have an icee place which is nice, also a smoothie stand. A few rides, mostly for smaller children. This year there was one that went upside down like the pirate ship ride.

Such a good time. Hubby and I went for a "date day" got to try so many different flavors and…read morevendors were so nice! Lots of people, but it didn't feel super crowded. Soo much coffee! And took home some good tea and, chili paste and BBQ sauce .

Very well planned and set up was better than last year-seemed more spacious. 10 rows of chocolate…read moreor coffee, salsa, jewelry, etc. We spent 3hours there today and bought bars, jewelry and dips. Definitely had a caffeine high after 2 rows of chocolates and coffee samples.

Expensive with no capacity control…read more This seems like a pattern for DMV "state fairs" they advertise it and make it seem inviting but when you get there, they tax everything and over-sell tickets to the point you want to leave... literally have to go early and ride everything before 5pm or else it gets stupid crowded. Who wants to hustle and stress to do all that when the venue can simply stop being greedy. This is a one & done for me... will not return!

The MD State Fair has been a very good fair experience for me. Each year seems to bring strategic…read moreimprovements. For example, last year the seating area for the ribs, corn, and smoked meats vendors was situated in an area so to not obstruct walkways. However, what was new in 2025 (at least to my knowledge from previous years) is only patrons of those vendors could sit in that seating area. It could have been the case in previous years and it just wasn't enforced. I don't think the MD State Fair has congregate dining areas apart from those in the vicinity of the food pavilion and a few low-capacity, all-purpose seating in random areas which is frustrating because many of the food vendors are situated along narrow walking paths where you have to compete with ride goers. What keeps me from giving the MD State Fair a 5* experience is despite some improvements, it still lacks the variety of unique and creative food items and fair-goer experiences which are common at other thriving fairs around the country. The food court here is good, but lacks creativity as it essentially serves traditional table food with few novelty items. But no iconic items. The planners do a great job of organizing the farm animal exhibit. And it is expansive. The rides are your typical carnival rides. The value at the fair is the wristband and fun pass cards for ride goers. I recommend saving your fun pass as the same pass vendor is used every year, so you don't have to pay for the activation fee. You'll just need to load money onto the card every year. Also, there are plenty vendors that offer unlimited refillable soft drinks at a discount. In my opinion, it is best to choose your preferred beverage, purchase the refill price, and stick to refilling at that particular vendor throughout the park during your visit. There are many sweet tea and lemonade stands that offer this deal. Also, the cups are reusable, so you can keep them as souvenirs and bring them back at future fairs for refills. Parking on grounds at the fair is $15 and first-come, first served. The parking lot is uneven, very hilly, and on grass (and when it rains, mud). I recommend arriving early to get a good spot close to the main entrance of the fair. At the end of a long day, it is exhausting to walk up and down hills to your car. Parking spots are not marked, so workers direct parking traffic. Again, arrive early to get a good and hassle free spot. I like that there are restrooms at the front on the inside near the main entrance and indoors at the animal exhibits. The fair grounds isn't vast, so unless you have an itinerary to visit all the exhibits, you can get through the fair in less than 2.5 hours tops. Overall, the fair is a good experience with delicious food and entertaining activities for young, old, and families.

I went to Celebrate Fairfax for the 1st on 6/9/17, 6/10/17 and 6/11/17…read more It is apparent that Celebrate Fairfax has grown over the past couple of years from a traditional carnival. You take the shuttle (because there is not enough parking at the festival for everyone who attends) from either Fair Oaks Mall or a nearby business park and walk right past the traditional carnival rides. I remember as a child. After the carnival rides you past vendors selling everything from coffee to Botox (agree with other Yelpers Celebrate Fairfax is not focused on crafts). After you past the vendors you are welcomed by the smells of food from everything from chicken to popcorn. After you past the food vendors, you arrive at the stage (concerts are offered on Friday and Saturday night). I was primarily interested in attending Celebrate Fairfax to see Bush (which turned out to be one of the best concerts I have experienced from the sounds to crowd) and when I looked at the ticket price I said "hey a 3 day ticket doesn't cost that much more". The concert space has chairs for anyone who wants to sit and if the band turns out to be super popular (and no chairs are left) you can either sit on the very small lawn space or stand. At the end of each concert there is a great fireworks displayed. I was impressed by the half hour show (stayed for the entire display on Saturday night). The fireworks displayed can be seen at almost every part of the festival (e.g. at the concert space or near the rides). The last day of Celebrate Fairfax the organizers tried something different this year and hosted a Brewfest. It was a really nice mixture of cider and beer. I heard from someone who attended the previous year that the organizers focused more on wine than beer. I think. Beer is better bet because I think you will attract more people because beer (in my opinion) offers more variety. I loved the concept of unlimited pours (and no tickets for tastes). If I had one compliant about the Brewfest portion it would be to have more sun umbrellas and dump buckets available. I know. It can be hard to predict the weather but Celebrate Fairfax happens every year in June and therefore rain or shine you can expect it to be hot. On that note, you can bring in Camel Backpacks into the festival. It is very helpful to have a large source of water available since all of Celebrate Fairfax (except for the restrooms and train display in the Government Center) is outside. In a nutshell, I am super psyched to live in Northern VA so I can attend Celebrate Fairfax (fingers crossed they have another great band(s) next year).

Why wouldn't that have a shady area or more cooling stations…read more Non gender porta potty's - gross. Very little choices for picky kids, vegan or other diets- maybe pack your own stuff. Fair food.

This is my super delayed love letter to the Maryland Renaissance Festival. As a DND/role player, my…read moreSaturday in September at the Ren Faire was incredible. I went with my DND group and we had an amazing time. There is so much to do, eat, and see here. You can easily spend an entire day at the MD Ren Faire. INSIDER TIP: Come early and bring plenty of cash with you. The earlier you come, the less insane lines you have to fight. And if you already have cash on you, you don't need to wait in the never ending ATM line. I hadn't been since I was a child and the space was still magical. It's all in a forest with a bunch of unique buildings and stages to really bring the magic alive. The map is your friend. It shares where everything is and it also shares all the showtimes. We immediately met some charming acrobats and saw both of their shows that day. We learned that fire isn't allowed in shows here (probably because the forest), but all the performers impressed us with very sharp knife juggling. This ren faire has it all. You can get crab pretzels, beer, oysters, crepes, and more. You can buy corsets, masks, daggers, tapestries, and more. You can watch jousters, jugglers, acrobats, AND MORE. My favorite part of my visit this year the the miniature Venetian museum. If you're interested in attending, be sure to look at the correct dates to buy tickets in advance. They will put you in an online queue that can take up to hours to get through, but it's so worth it.

I've been to Renaissance festivals before, but nothing like the Maryland one. The festival grounds…read moreare well designed giving it a very immersive feel. It's also set back in the tree line a bit which really adds to the experience. There's a variety of entertainment options from Shakespeare to jousting and some very fine vendors. The best part though was definitely seeing all the attendees in costume, people really go all out! I tried to go last year but sadly missed out on getting tickets. I learned my lesson though and added the ticket release date to my calendar so I was ready! I bought my tickets the day they dropped, which was a good thing since they sold out quickly again this year. So my advice is plan on going and also get tickets asap!

Because I enjoyed the Chesapeake Crab and Beer Fest in Baltimore so much, when I saw the Groupon…read morefor the beer package for the one in National Harbor, I didn't hesitate to buy it. I will say that I got a good value paying $17 vs. $35 because I would have been upset paying $35. First of all, the location was hard to find. There was no signage to find the area from Waterfront St near the water. This location is much smaller so getting around the lines and vendor tents were harder. The space was limited and if your ticket didnt guarantee seating, you were pretty much out of luck. They also had much less drink vendors here. About 5 or 6 vendors were only open to premium ticket holders. So I buy beer package ticket and can't even access all the beer vendors??? That's BS. They had less liquor and wine vendors than the one in Baltimore and the beer vendors didn't know how to properly pour beer. Every time they filled our cups, it would be half full with foam. Warm foamy beer is gross. Also, the food trucks were limited as well. We didn't buy crabs this time because the price without an AYCE package was ridiculous. I gave 2 stars because I like that the sample cups were bigger this time and vendors that were good but they needed better people to pour beers. I don't mean to compare locations but if they are the same price tickets, the experience should be just as great. National Harbor is a wonderful area but I didn't enjoy this fest like the one in Baltimore.

We bought a friend here for the start of his bachelor party weekend. We did the VIP tickets so we…read moregot a tent to sit under with tables. We had unlimited beer and crabs. Nice. There were lots of beers, ciders, and even a few harder alcohols to try. There were some other vendors there for clothing and services also. Once we were in the area where the festival was, the staff was helpful about where to pick up tickets etc. Given that this is a festival vs a formal event I think it went well. Festivals by nature are not as choreographed as a sit down get together. Yes it can be crowded but that is the nature of the beast. I used what had to be the cleanest port o potty I have ever used. Impressive given that we went for the second session of the festival. I would have given it five stars except that actually finding the way to where the festival was from the parking areas was confusing. Some people thought it was taking place in the convention center etc. A few more signs stating that the festival was at the waterfront and pointing in the direction you needed to go would have helped especially since there were multiple events going on this weekend.