Love this place! Been here like 6x already! Biggest fair in the area that is easy for us to get to without a plane ride and a hotel for 3 nights lol! It's like a 3 hour ride for us, but so worth it! So many vendors, so much food, so many cows. Seriously like 200 lol! So many animals! 300 vendors if not more. 250+ food vendors! If you want a new belt buckle, a new cowboy hat, a new car, a tractor, combine, gutters, septic, life insurance, coffee, flagpole, shed, lawn ornaments, bed, and so many other items, this is the place! Huge selection of everything. Huge selection of shows. Huge selection of food. Get the bratwurst!!! Tons of other things to do as well. Seriously so many, way too many to list! Honestly if you have nothing to do when it's here, go, spend the day. Learn about animals, watch a show, eat some good food! Come one come all! read more

This review is for the ArtRider craft fair, that weekend. There is a better selection of better quality crafts on sale here. Many take credit cards. For some reason there were more than the usual glass, blowers, and glass crafting people. Some of the pieces are definitely museum quality. The sitdown restaurant is there, as well as several food trucks from which to choose. It's a "Rain or Shine" weekend event. read more

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Super fun county fair! Tons to do for all ages and tons of variety to keep the kids and adults entertained! Plenty of clean bathrooms/ sanitization stations and food vendors all over. There was a traveling hype team which was just so much fun and is guaranteed to put a smile on your face and make you dance! The ag stations and historical portions were really educational AND fun! There were a few bands you would discover our favorite surprise find was the band in the train station. The gun club had an AWESOME animal exhibit and fishing, ax throwing, pellet gun shooting, and archery! The traveling entertainment was top notch! Stilt walking people, the German juggling boy, the lady on the back of a dinosaur were all so fun to stumble upon! We loved seeing all of the vendors and the specialty foods available. The rides were a huge hit with the kids' favorite was the balls you could get inside and roll on the water! The family truly had such a wonderful time and plan to come back next year!! It's worth the admission (though I do still cringe at how high it costs to enter) read more

Dutchess County Fair is always a fun time with the family and friends! There are lots of animals, vendors, and activities to see! You can get lost for hours wandering around the fairgrounds. I met a lot of really cute animals, got some kettle corn, and watched a dog swimming competition. There's really something for everyone. It can get a bit expensive, especially the food, but you can still enjoy your time without spending a lot of money. Tickets were $15 as of the time of writing this. It can get crowded, so make sure you come when it opens on the weekend to secure a parking spot! read more

Let's start off that everything the fair provides is always fun and enjoyable, but the prices for tickets and food are the main turnoff for me. I remember several years back, it was cheaper and easily affordable. Having the pre-sale for the tickets helped a bit, but not enough to fulfill my happiness. I'd recommend bringing a lot of cash while visiting the fair. We came on Tuesday (the first day), and was fairly crowded with a lot of cars in the parking lot. It didn't take too long to find a spot. A lot of things looked the same as per every year, animals at the 4H, milkshakes (my favorite), Johnny's Famous Fries (another favorite), and Nick and Bennie's Burgers to name a few which all are good. Hope they continue to stick around (I'm sure). It was awesome to see the events running, and it honestly felt like pre-Covid days. The piggy race and the acrobat/daredevil show we saw were great. Most of the same rides were recognized, as I've noticed there were a couple of new ones. The Farris Wheel was upgraded and moved to a different location. Me and my friend went on it and were impressed with the view on the top, and saw the Catskills. I always enjoy going on it. A lot of rides to go on for so much fun. There are a couple of bathroom buildings located in the fair, and they seem to be in good shape. The one located by 4H is the most crowded, so for a quieter experience, you're best off at the other building towards the court hall. There are also portal potties provided, which I don't recommend. We always have a great time coming here, but the amount spent here should be no surprise. read more

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Total ripoff bought my kids wristbands for $33 a piece and was tood at the gate each had to pay $20 again.crooks and thieves.

Really What happened to this amazing Fair. We need new management. Bathrooms were disgusting. Not that many vendors. Closing at 8:00 on Sunday. No one to direct Traffic. What happened to my good old fair. Won't come back. But who cares anyway if we don't. read more

The fair was a lot more fun than I expected. Wonderful smells, lots of interesting things for sale. Fun displays. Beautiful flowers, lovely craftsmanship, art etc. Enjoyed seeing all the animals especially the cows having babies. Free parking & Military discount! read more

I've been here twice - about 20 years ago when I was in my teens and just now. The fair is exactly how I remembered it. Lots of food, rides, animals, milk shakes, specialty shops and tons of family fun! I really enjoyed the plant/exterior decor exhibit near the little zoo. The people that participated are really creative and inspiring! The specialty shops were probably my favorite part of the fair (shopping = fav part ... Go figure) lol. I bought lots of cool items. Dog biscuits for my dog Bailey, Malbec Jam - simply amazing, and Wild Coyote Chipotle Hot Sauce - if you're into hot sauce and come across this vendor you must sample their hot sauces! I also bought this spray for your foot that is supposed to help with inflammation (I suffer from a foot injury that has been coming and going since 2010) anyways the vendor did a little demo on my foot and I swear to god my foot has not bothered me since the fair - that was over 2 weeks ago - amazing bc just about 3-4 days a week I'm normally in pain. The rides we were did were the kiddie rides for my 19 month old. There were only 3 that were appropriate for her age/height. As expected her favorite was the carousel. The Eli Young Band was there performing at the band stand. I'm a huge fan of theirs but missed out on the concert bc the people I was with are not into country. It's okay though bc I saw them about 10 days prior at Kenny Chesney's No Shoes Nation Tour! The food was delicious too - I had: sausage n peppers, funnel cake, pretzel and an apple crisp... I know - what a fat ass! I could not resist!! Lol. I did however space everything out and not eat it all in one sitting! :) read more

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Price of admission keeps going up and up.....price of food is ridiculous. Paid $30. to get in on "senior" day for me and my husband (he's 65, I'm not quite there yet) . When it was getting time for some food he paid $11.00 for a small overcooked dry cheeseburger. I chose the fried mushrooms - $10. for a tiny portion of inedible soggy nasty things laced with hot peppers that I had to throw out. Nothing at the booth to warn me that the mushrooms contained hot peppers in the batter coating and I have a mouth condition that prohibits me from eating spicy foods. Now will be suffering several days in pain because of that. Horticulture building and antique machinery were the best things we saw. Felt really bad for the poor tired ponies walking on a lead line carrying kids all day. We have lived in Dutchess County and have gone to this fair for over 45 years and it has really gone downhill. We will definitely not be back (even if we could afford it). read more

Very disappointed in the fair this year. Bought tickets to the fair on the website after checking the grandstand schedule. Drove 2 hours to get here. Got to the gate the find out that the Chris Cagle concert was cancelled. It is still listed on their website as it is going on. Not everyone has Facebook to find out it was cancelled. read more

Been visiting the fair for years and it's just not the same anymore. Seeing the animals is the highlight of the visit but absolutely not worth the price. $15 per adult. Parking is a headache. You need to pay extra for rides. Our son isn't tall enough to ride alone just yet so you'll need tickets for child and for adult. $20 for 22 tickets. It was 7 tickets per person just to ride the Ferris wheel! The others were about 4 or 5 tickets each per person. They have a wrist band option which makes it more reasonably priced but if your child doesn't meet height requirements for most rides then it's not worth it. The other games are meant to steal your money. We expect it. But the employees at each game station hound you in an uncomfortable way. The other employees sprinkled throughout the fair grounds were horrible. They were not happy. Not friendly. Not smiling. They literally all looked miserable. It really set the mood. While waiting on line near the wiggly worm ride- I could hear the other children's ride next to it playing loud music (which is expected of course) but the music choice was explicit with a line saying (if you don't got no money, take your broke A** home). Take it as you will but that's not what I want my 4 year old to hear while he's on a trip to the fair You get your typical fair ground food. I don't have high expectations for it but for the price it seemed a bit ridiculous. $5 for a corn dog that was oddly colored and probably came frozen. Then we got a lemonade which was absolutely delicious but holy sugar. So much sugar I could feel the texture with each sip. Maybe that's what they hoped for. It was a bit much though. Also, don't bother with a funnel cake- terrible! I give the fair 2 stars because at the end of our trip we stopped in to get one of those funny drawings of our son. The guy did a great job and we will cherish this forever. That said, we won't return to the fair next year. It's not the same. It's a waste of money and a toxic place full of unhappy people. Low class visitors who smoke in sitting areas around children and bad food. read more

Love this place and realized that I never reviewed it! Started coming here about 5 years ago, introduced by my bf as something he used to go to when he was younger. Since first coming here, we've noticed an increase in price for everything - ticket, food etc, but I guess that is to be expected over time. They have lots of things going on that we don't participate in such as the livestock section where there are auctions for cows or goats and even rabbits! There is a section where you can see and sometimes pet rabbits, chickens, guinea pigs, roosters and other farm type animals. They also have shows and guest appearances, as well as inside shopping for foods, jewelry, all types of household things and everything in between. The bf and I mainly go to pig out on overpriced fair food and being away from the city. Milkshakes, cheese fries, corn, cheese steaks, gyros, pizza, Asian food, Mexican food, candy apples, desserts, Texas style brisket/pulled pork and so much more in the food department that I wish I had more stomachs to try everything :P The bummer for this year is that they got rid of the advanced tickets for food vouchers. There was a percentage off if you bought them so you pretty much get more for your money and trading voucher tickets for food prizes feels better than parting with cash. Hope they bring it back next year! read more

Country fairs should be family affordable, now $18 entrance, only save a few dollars with advance tickets. Senior discount is ridiculous. Concerts a while back were two shows a day and free. Next they will start charging for parking. Water 2000 % markup, $4 a bottle why are the vendors getting away with this. I believe only two vendors were selling it for $3. 4h milkshakes terrible this year, warm and made ahead of time sitting on a table. And $5 for a very small cup. read more

This Review is on the Dutchess County Fair at the fairground: I'm always a little weary about large Fairs because of the crowd, cleanliness of the grounds, and the dreadful bathroom situation ( just say NO to portal potty!), especially with a toddler. But having lived in Dutchess county for over 10 years, it was time to finally check out this popular fair and see it for myself. We came here on a Sunday around 11 am and there were already a lot of cars on the ground. Happy to know that parking is free and the staff is organized to direct you to a proper space quickly. Sundays are buy 1ticket get 2nd one 50% off. For 2 adults, it came to $22. Kid under 12 is free (yay!). There are lots to do and see at the fair. There's a dedicated section for kiddie rides... You need to purchase tickets to go on rides. If you have small toddlers, here's where you'll spent most of your $$. The rides are very organized and the line move fast. My daughter had a lot of fun here. Beside the kiddy rides, there are TONS of vendors indoors and in tents outside, they also have section of farmer displays and lots of hands on learning and games for the kids, you can easily spend all day here and still have more to do. The best part of it all is that there are flushing toilets and clean bathroom, can't ask for more. Definitely check the fair out. I will be returning next year! read more

This is a great event every year, particularly if you have kids/ grandkids. More commercialized today than back in the 1950's when it was much more agricultural and small town focused - the great tractor events, the helicopter rides, the GM pavilion, the Budweiser Clydesdales. But still fun on great rides, good food, the livestock buildings, dog shows, and pig runs. Thoroughly worth it!!! read more

A group of us attended the first Dutchess County Fair Oktoberfest this past Sat. It was a disappointment. We arrived there by 12pm and the line for the 'one' German food truck was already long. We waited about 45 min. By 2:30 it was ridiculous. There should have been at least one more food truck with German menu items...which, btw, did taste very good. Most people were there for the food and beer. Not enough! The Artisan tent was not meant for a good old country fair. Far too expensive for country folk and even most city visitors. There was a pumpkin contest with 2 large entries which guests just walked by. The music was not traditional and no staff from the fair walked around to give that Oktoberfest feel. No raising of the glasses and cheering or costumes. Two stars are for the stuffed cabbage. Boring. read more

I've been coming about six years now, and if you're looking for every fried food imaginable and pit bellied pig races, then look no further. Fried dough. French fries. Veggie tempura. Corn dogs. Funnel cake. Zeppoles. Fried candy bars. And of course: Deep Fried Oreos. Plus milkshakes, cotton candy, kettle corn. Every kind of fair/carnival food. The Dutchess County Fair wants to explode your heart. Just make sure you do it gradually. It's only once a year for a reason. read more

Get the $4 milkshakes at the 4h hill stand. The line moves pretty quickly - less than 10 minutes for milkshake perfection! I'm also a big fan of the Lime Fizz stand (which also come in lemon or orange). Ask for them without sugar -- they will make them sugar free. There is also a diet soda option, which is terrible so go sugar free with seltzer. The best attraction is the super cheesy but awesome Pig Races on the racetrack (Rosaire's Racing Pigs). They run several a day. It's free to attend and you can wager $1 bets on the three different races. And the pigs have brilliant bacon-inspired names like Heavy P and Britney Spare-Ribs. Fun! Of course there are tons of food options (and a shout out to the Regina Coeli Steak Out - get stuff there!), the midway and games galore. It's a fun day overall and worth a visit to Rhinebeck. PS - if you want to have any alcoholic drinks on the fair grounds, stop by Fosters at the Fair. They have a full bar and the only place to get your happy hour on. read more

This is the only fair I go to! It's my favorite way to end summer! I hate missing it. Excited to take my step son tomorrow!!

I went to college near the fairground, and it was fun to go and visit. In terms of the activities, it is pretty standard fair stuff. There are games, stands, and the occasional over priced food. My friends and I had fun on some of the rides and funhouses, though they weren't anything crazy. What was amazingly fun for me was going to see the animals. There is a wide array. Cows, pigs, etc. You can go and see them, watch the judging, etc. What I did find a bit odd (and perhaps just because I didn't grow up with this) were the signs over the pigs saying "Hi my name is ____. My owner can cut me up, ad send me directly to your home." I was a bit uncomfortable, but my vegetarian friends were downright shocked. In the end, life is different everywhere and although I am not used to it, I understand it nonetheless. read more

I'm only reviewing their winter RV storage. The process was easy and efficient for me. I'll have to check out their Summer Fair during the season, after taking my RV out for the spring. read more

Dutchess County Fair - RV storage - Festivals Near Me - Rhinebeck, New York

This fair is pricey! Been here twice before. I think it is a huge rip off... for what you pay for the rides, food and the games are ridiculous. I guess it's expected... We spent around 240 dollars here yesterday. Yes ... the money went fast. We had lunch here and also popcorn, cotton candy, fried dough which were good. The funnel cake was terribly tasteless!!! I never had a funnel cake that had no taste to it.. never! We throw it out! The lemonade I recall was delicious last time .. this time it was terrible! We had three and from different stands and they were not tasting good at all! I gave it three stars because my kids enjoyed the rides and the animals. Daughter and husband enjoyed the dog show. We still had a great day here! They have a great selection of animals for the kids to see. Even a big farm house to play in that my son couldn't get enough of. So that made me happy. read more

Decent Fair, but I'll not go again. I grew up with great fairs in upstate NY and loved them, so we drove for over an hour to get to this one. We all had a good time, entry cost was a bit high for the "freebies", however the traffic situation was awful. Getting in, Rt 9 was backed up for over a mile into the next intersection, but I can live with 15 minutes. Getting out was another story. One way out and the cop directing traffic onto Rt 9 must have been new, he'd let a couple of cars go every few of minutes, while there was no backup on Rt 9. We left in the middle of the afternoon and sat for 40 minutes! We won't go again I'm afraid. read more

One of my favorite vendors in the park serves French-fries in a doggy-bowl style dish. I always think this is quite cute and funny-even though this is an annual purchase I tend to make. Prices at this vendor tend to be a bit more expensive, but when you see some people nearby and even around the park walking with these dishes, it tends to make you wish you had one for yourself, if you want to "have some fun in life." On top of that, this fair also has several concession stands that serve foods, anything from roasted turkey to some great roasted corn-on the-cob to fried dough and Zeppoles to you-name it! They've pretty much got it all. Ask around, and you'll find out where the best places are to eat from pretty much most people, where the lines are long. As for first aid station: yeah, they've got one, but you have to travel up a steep incline first, if coming from both/either the main entrance or livestock gate! (Also located nearby, is a NYS Police security building&booth. However, don't bring your animals to this fair unless your animals are service animals or part of an act onproperty. Owners of these animals will be asked to leave fair grounds, and don't think about putting your lovable pooch in your car! Any visitor with this problem will be noted, their car towed and a ticket will be issued (not even if the window is down, will police ever forgive you- it's just inhumane to-do). And although most of the fair is evenly paved in cement, there are some spots near the racetrack and out in the parking lots, that may be quite hilly-and you may end up tripping over these unnoticed "hills" in the ground-just slight notice beforehand, so you better thank me! I also forgot to mention in my last review, that parking is absolutely free. You can take trains and buses or the water taxi to the fair, which can make things that much better on your pocketbook. For Metro-North, take the train to the terminus-hub Poughkeepsie and transfer on Amtrak to the Kingston-Rhineclifff station. There will be a free shuttle bus between three train stations and the fair and ferry boat landing dock and fair. And the Dutchess County Fair isn't the only thing this fair exhibits during the year. They also have several craft shows, sheep and wool festival, a GoodGuys car show(s) as well as some antique shows. Call the fair's phone number (or visit their website) to find out whether or not the event you're looking for is scheduled or not. Fair events normally take place starting in late April/early May and lasting till middle October. The fair takes place starting the second-to-last Tuesday in the month of August, lasts six days, and ends generally till the last Sunday in August. read more

The entrance fee was $15, OK so I was prepared to have a fun time for that price. I am not a cheap person, but reasonable on what I spend my money on. I wanted to try a Bratwurst, so I found the vendor mentioned on the fairs web site. To my amazement a six inch Bratwurst on a bun with some sauerkraut was $8. I said fine, I will pay it since no food was allowed on the grounds and I was hungry. For $8 you would expect it to taste outstanding, but no, it was terrible. I wanted some french fries but the cost was $4 to $6, no way I was going to pay that for fries. Its a shame that parents would have to take an awful lot of money for rides and food and don't forget the admission price. Next time I will just go to Coney Island, no admission price, and around Coney Island there is plethora of places to eat, in and around the grounds at very reasonable prices. Never again! read more

Teens went yesterday. Very disappointed with what they get for $15 admission per person. Very expensive, "rigged" games, lots of candy, expensive food. Vacant booths when they wanted tickets for rides! Too many people around the animals. So they came back early. At least they could say, okay, we've been there! One sympathetic vendor gave the kids fish in a bag as a prize. Parents not happy!! read more

Absolutely my Favorite Fair! I drive with my husband from Connecticut and enjoy everything about all 142 Acres! Fun filled Day For all..

Good place to gorge on fair food until you get sick. Where else can you walk around checking out livestock while gnawing on a 2 pound bbq turkey leg that tastes like lighter fluid? Big disappointed that the old (sliced) pork sandwich guys were not there this year. If anyone knows where they went, let me know. Thats the fair we're hitting up next year. You can imagine the rest of the scene at this place. read more

I give this fair 5 stars only because I go every year. The downside is that its becoming very expensive. $8 for a fairly small steak sandwhich? $15 to get in? Takes a full days salary for a family of 4. But its still fun and still a family tradition. read more

My cuteness and I came to the fair from NYC. This place is amazing, especially if you love animals (but don't particularly object to them being used for milk/meat). There are so many cute animals! Oh my goodness. You can see lots and lots of horses, cows, pigs, goats, sheep, bunnies, and birds. They have a birthing tent where you can meet some very cute newborn piglets and cowies. And there's a wonderful petting zoo if you like to feed goats. I certainly do! There are fun activities too, like pig races. You can bet a dollar on a pig to win a pig prize. You can also eat lots of tasty food. I recommend the corn on the cob and the 4H milkshakes. The food is slightly overpriced. Also, if you're from out of town and are taking public transit, make sure to check the bus schedule ahead of time. We missed the bus and they run infrequently from Poughkeepsie station to the fairgrounds. We paid too much money for an illegal cab to rhinebeck. read more

The first time this year I been this year. Been every year and enjoy the day lights out of it enjoy the food this year the weather is great. People were not pushy what a change read more

Dutchess County Fair - Parking - Festivals Near Me - Rhinebeck, New York

This was a total waste of money. It was $15 per person at the door. The long wait to find parking was excruciating. The vendors sell ridiculously priced gyros, brats, and cotton candy that are no better than typical street food. Expect to be gouged. The animals are nice but overall, this is a major rip off. The port-o-sans are disgusting too. Unless you live very close by, expect to be seriously disappointed. read more

I am retired military. I served my country and paid the price. I go to the Dutchess County Fair every year and spend a small fortune there. So I really did not appreciate being hassled by some snotty old prune for using my military ID to get discounted tickets. Granted the picture on my ID is old but I had to remove my sunglasses, I was questioned about my service and whether I actually had served or not and she was not very nice about it at all. Dutchess County Fair you should be ashamed of yourself! You are going to question that I was even in the military when I present you with photo ID? If you don't want to give the discount then don't advertise it. I did not see her asking the senior citizens for proof of age, as she was one herself. It felt quite discriminatory to me. So I hope the five bucks was worth it to the Fair's reputation because I'm going to tell the story to everyone I meet. read more

We came to see the second largest fair in New York state and it was underwhelming. Admission is $15 per adult. As expected, the bulk of the rides were for little children and the food was all artery clogging and overpriced. The disappointment in the food vendors were the 3 - 4 fried dough/fried Oreo vendors and 3 - 4 lemonade vendors. They could not get other vendors to provide greater variety than deep fried obesity? I know fair food is traditionally bad for you but I was hoping for more choices. The indoor vendors were mainly local businesses trying to sell you stuff. There was even a Verizon Wireless stand. I guess nothing screams fun at a fair like signing up for Verizon Wireless? The bulk of the fair are vendors attempting to see how much money they can get out of you. The fair also has cows, horses, and pigs on display. Overall, it is not worth it. You can use the admission to buy junk food anywhere. read more

Ive literally been coming here since I was a little kid. I started really coming back here 5 years ago with my gf and we have not missed a single year since. I look forward to this all year. We essentially here for the food. You have try have the corn with butter, cheese fries, gyro, chicken cheese steak, and of course the ridiculously delicious milk shake close to gate four I think. On top of this we usually buy food vouchers online beforehand which gets you additional food. Unfortunately they did not have it this year which was actually a real let down because we didnt feel as though we had to stuff ourselves sick to use the coupons. Hopefully next year.... Another thing lacking was the ride called The Vortex. We look forward to me trying to get her to go on this every year and sometimes succeeding. However, this year the ride was missing... Hopefully next year they will revert back to the previous years though either way, we will of course becoming back here. read more

Great county fair! Take the whole family. Don't forget to stop my the 4-H booth and order milkshake.

Nice to get out of town and up to the country. It is fun for kids. Very old-timey which is good.

I've been going to this fair for over a decade, but it has changed for the worse. I just went I decided for the last time on August 26th 2015 what a disappointment, first, a lot of the vendors that used to be there aren't there anymore, the games are few, not really any cooking demonstrations or kitchen products, the rides aren't the same some gone that were there before, the food prices are absurd, such as $7.50 for a slice of pizza or $6 for a soft pretzel. Also they made a deal with Dasani (Pepsi) to sell just their water, in case you forgot this was the brand that was discovered to be tap water in a bottle (what a joke to pay $3-$4 for tap water) also I discovered the employees drink different water because last year they sold me a better brand of water by accident and when my friend went back to buy more they said that brand was not for sale and I wasn't suppose to have it. The parents at the fair were complaining to their children about the cost of food, one parent compared the price of a McDonald's burger to the fair's price for burgers (how sad, they didn't buy any food). I noticed most people headed indoors for the free food sample products that some vendors offer. It's a shame the prices for basic carnival food is so ridiculously priced. I brought lunch and my own filtered water from home, I wasn't about to over pay for that crap, my friend refused to buy any food or drinks, even though we can afford to, I think it was a matter of principle for him. The bottom line is save your money this place is not what it used to be, the vibe is different, just unhappy parents (can't blame them) and their children didn't seem that happy either, if you have to go because you can't find anywhere else to go, bring your own sandwiches and snacks in your backpack. Don't go broke buying overpriced mediocre food! read more