I came here on a Sunday morning with my girlfriend. Drove quite a bit too check this carnival out…read moreas it is located in a rural, isolated location. However, it is at a baseball stadium, presumably for the local semi-professional team. Firstly, if you plan on coming, grab discounted tickets by going into Walgreens. You'll save $5/ticket rather than buying at the door. Though it is an ice sculpture 'park' it is held all inside. Upon entering, the are a couple of 'carnival games' that you can play. This includes the mining/sifting activity you may have seen in museums and also throwing games to knock down cans and clowns. They also sell some food and beverages here. We ordered French fries, chicken tenders, and hot chocolate. The hot chocolate was a small cup, something I don't think it's with sharing at all but getting your own. There were only three chicken tenders at $5 but they were only OK. The French fries I thought were actually pretty good. They had some other meals available but it's the typical food you find at carnivals, though maybe not as diverse. That is the upper level of the carnival. Heading down, you enter the main attraction. It's cold so make sure you bring your jacket, gloves, and also recommend snow pants for the kids. Reason being, it's a giant freezer for all the ice sculptures. There were ice slides, Merry go round, small Ferris wheel, bumper cart photo booth, etc. I uploaded some pictures for you to get an idea of what's there. There is a main slide made of ice. This is where the snow pants come in as they will let you slide much easier. In jeans, I wasn't sliding down much at all. They also had a few games here too, free to play (minus the admission cost of course). If you win, you get a ticket to play for free at the prize winning games at the upper level described previously. You can essentially keep playing until you win down stairs which is nice. The day we came there was also snow on the ground. You can actually walk onto the field and build snow man or have a quick snow ball fight. Overall, we were here for a little under an hour and a half. Though the ice sculptures are very nice and detailed, for the admission I thought we would see more. This is probably better for families and kids though. It was a cool thing to see but I don't think I would be coming back. Maybe if I have children in the future but not anytime soon. Just a bit expensive and far for something that I expected to have a bit more 'wow' factor. Again though, the sculptures were incredible. Just wish it was cheaper or more worth it having to drive so far.

First time visitor to the Sparta Renaissance Fair at Camp Sacajawea, Sparta,NJ. We arrived early…read more(10:30) and got parking spot near the entrance gate. Plenty of folks directing traffic which was a big help. We noticed they used shuttle busses for people who arrived later. The festival was well laid out, plenty of room to mingle and meander around, with trails leading to and fro. Everyone was friendly and truly in a festive mood. Many activities (archery, blacksmith,etc) A Viking Village and plenty of food vendors scattered around the loop. Especially loved Sue's House of Fudge with many varieties of tasty smooth Fudge. Many vendors, Vixen En Garde was a fun theatre trio, Mermaids, and assorted shows thru out the day for every age and interest. Look forward to returning.

This faire is great, love the affordable price can't beat $25 for adults other faires in the area…read moreare double that! The parking is free, and there is a shuttle if you have to park at the school. A word of warning, the ground is dusty and uneven I would highly suggest wearing comfortable, closed toe shoes! Lots of very friendly vendors selling interesting things, was a little disappointed at the amount of people selling things from temu and such and also the over abundance of 3d printed items. Would love to see less of that and a bigger focus on those who create handmade items! The food selections weren't too bad but again the selection wasn't the biggest. Your standard fare of turkey legs, pickles, and more basically from food trucks. Thankful for the covered seating area to sit and eat your food. Overall this faire is great especially for the price, I appreciate the efforts made to make it different from other faires with the Viking camp and mermaid grotto. The location itself is absolutely beautiful and I'm a little envious it's no longer a Girl Scout camp. A great day of entertainment and merriment for all, dog friendly too! Will definitely visit again as I can appreciate the more relaxed vibe of this faire. I hope there are more add ons to come as this Ren Faire gets larger and more attention.

We had a most lovely day at the Sussex County Fair!!! This is by far one of the best county fairs…read morein New Jersey. My Apple fitness app says we clocked 4 miles walking the barns to see the animals, the vendors, the food, the shows. The atmosphere is so family friendly and clean. Even the bathroom attendant did a fantastic job ushering us into open stalls, keeping it clean. Moving the line along. Haha. Just a great time. Don't miss this annual fair!

Took the kids with my gf to this annual fair which is one of the best around. It is very clean and…read morewholesome. Family friendly. There is really something for everyone here. You can get up close with all of the animals. See the vegetable and other contest entries. There are many rides and many food trucks. Lots of shows and exhibitions. For the price it's a whole day of fun.

Went for the Jack O Lantern show on a Saturday evening…read more Large parking lot with lots of spaces. Doors open promptly at 6pm. You will NOT be let in if you arrive earlier. The walk-through start time was delayed a bit as they wanted to wait for it to get darker before starting...so those who purchased tickets for 6:00, 6:15 and 6:30 had to wait until about 6:40-45 until they began to let people in. The massive crowd gathered at the gate at around 6:35 dwindled down very quickly once they started to let people in. The walk itself took about 25 minutes...this is with stopping to take photos. The crowds were very manageable. It was never a issue where there was a backup or disruption of the flow of traffic throughout the walk...so kudos to them for limiting the reservations for each time slot. I do think the overall price of $24 per person was slightly higher for the walk-through experience. I would think $15ish would have been more appropriate. One thing to keep in mind that their FAQS state that not carvings are real pumpkins...this became pretty clear as you walk throughout the tour and get an idea of which ones were not real. Not a big deal...but does take away from the "wow" factor of the actual carved pumpkins. I do have to say that the surrounding attractions were a nice bonus. There was live music, a large tented seating area and multiple food vendor selling beer, smores, nachos, pizza, hot dogs and other items. These vendors were very reasonably priced in my opinion. Given this "bonus" I didn't mind the price of the walklthrough. Lots of photo ops as expected. All staff we encountered were very nice.

This is in regards to the Halloween jack o lantern show. The advertisement claims "6000 hand carved…read morejackolanterns" what they don't tell you and you'll soon realize is they are fake as in not carved pumpkins. Then they advertise a "beer garden with 30 craft beers". Its a roll out cart and couple of "kegerators" with 5 tap beer and a few canned ones. None are craft beer unless you consider yuengling, coors and Sierra Nevada craft beer, and they're 8 bucks each! The petting zoo was 5 goats and 2 alpacas. This would've been a fun little walk if the pumpkins weren't fake and the price was half of the ridiculous 20 dollars a person.

I've been going to the festival for years now, and I highly recommend…read more They have several food vendors (not only tacos), games, and tons of entertainment (wrestlers, live bands, live reaper taco eating contests, and more!)

This is my 4th year going to the Taco Festival, and every year, it gets better. The more you go,…read morethe more you learn how to take advantage of the whole experience and, MOST IMPORTANTLY, how to pace yourself to get in as much Taco goodness as possible. So many options of tacos to choose from and, if you're not into tacos (blasphemy), you have empanadas, pickles, cupcakes, etc to choose from. There are plenty of tables to sit at, and more importantly, they are covered so you have somewhere to hide in case it rains since the event is rain or shine. Buuuuuuuut, if you choose to bring your own chair, it doesn't hurt. Overall, I'm looking forward to next year!

After more than 20 years of successful shows in the Netherlands, Mysteryland hopped across the pond…read moreand done did their first US festival on the iconic Woodstock '69 grounds. Needless to say, we purchased 3-day camping tickets back in December the first three minutes they went on sale, and all had a killer weekend! The inaugural Mysteryland USA festival featured ten combined stages/areas stages with a Sunday School 3-stage mini-fest going on all weekend. A Friday night pre-party hosted by Nicky Romero was available to those with Nomad weekend camping passes, and Saturday/Sunday set times ran from 1pm all the way till 2am both days. Steve Aoki closed out the main stage on Saturday and Kaskade did the honors on Sunday, but from open to close, our day was jam-packed with killer sets both days, and plenty of exploring and dancing all around. A+ on stage design, sound, lighting, and of course, the talent! The healing garden, complete with yoga and other cool stuff added some well-needed relaxation/rejuvenation to an otherwise high-energy weekend, and there were plenty of (albeit REALLY pricey) food options. Best of all, the campgrounds provided solace just a short walk away from the party! I'm grading on a curve since this is their first time here in the states, but there's a short list for improvement: 1 - Birdie Bucks - Yes, the festival was cashless, with all purchases scanned from your wristband, but you could only purchase "Birdie Bucks" at select locations, and at the "exchange rate" of $10 USD for 9 Birdie Bucks. They claim to refund unused bucks after the festival, but then deduct a $5 service charge, so unless you want to lose money, you need to be planning & doing math so as to use all your wristband funds...and who the hell wants to do that at a festival?! Compound that with the fact that the entire system went down for a few hours, paralyzing all purchases, and you've got reason to reconsider the rationale for the system. ...Fortunately, I found a workaround to the leftover Bucks situation - Go to the merch shop (which accepts BOTH cash and Birdie Bucks), make a purchase, deplete your wristband balance first, then pay the balance in cash. 2 - Water refill stations - located dangerously close (read: inside) the outhouse area causing even more congestion, with not nearly enough pressure to fill up those camelbaks. Here's where they could take a page from Electric Zoo or EDC and have dedicated high-pressure water refill stations manned by volunteers to keep the line moving and the crowd spread out. All in all, in my mind, ID&T, the Mysteryland organizers did a terrific job their first year, and I hope that the Bethel Woods organizers feel the same so we can party on again next Memorial Day weekend!

Do I really want to reveal the mystery that is Mysteryland? As much as I want to keep this place a…read moresecret, hidden away for no one else to discover, I have to shout from the rooftops just how amazing this festival is. 1) The Logistics - Getting in, out, and around is EASY! Having been to many other festivals where just parking your car is a nightmare, Mysteryland had it all figured out. The little roads around the fest took a beating with heavy traffic but it was nothing like Woodstock back in the day I'm sure. The bathrooms were kept extremely clean at all times. I never had issues with toilet paper or disgusting porta-potties. 2) The People - Everyone was so nice and respectful. The staff were always wishing for us to have an amazing time. I loved the vibes here! 4) The Music - A nice selection of genres from hip top and trap to dark techno and everything in between. The sound was amazing! 5) The Stages - They were so perfectly placed. It was easy to go from stage to stage in 5 minutes. I saw so many artists in one day, I was so surprised! The design of the stages is so unique and each has their own vibe. With a festival that is not sold out like Mysteryland, getting to the front of each stage is an easy task. Where you would expect people to be sardines rammed up against the rail, it is the complete opposite. I vowed to never go front row at a show again after recieving many bruises after Steve Aoki in Toronto. Well here I was, front row at Claude Von Stroke and I had a good foot around me to dance and enjoy myself. I was never shoved or pushed once the entire weekend. 6) The Camping - Camp sites were huge and spacious. The Plaza Central with shops, food, and activities stayed open 24/7 which was a big plus. The general store had everything from underwear to extra tents and sleeping bags. 7) The History - This is where WOODSTOCK HAPPENED!! That is probably the most amazing thing about all of this. The hill we climb each day to go to the festival is where thousands of people stood to watch some of the greatest acts to ever live. The museum on site is very well done and can bring a tear to your eye. So much emotion in one place. Music really does bring everyone together. I'll be back Mysteryland! As long as you are around, I will be coming to visit!!

Wild West City is an entertainment venue. Stage coach rides are seven dollars and are fun. Ride a…read moresmall train through the woods and around the property. 'Shows' such as gun fights, happen on Main Street regularly. The little kids where having a blast! Parking is in a dirt lot and on the grass. A parking attendant will guide you to your spot. Handicap parking is directly by the entrance, also dirt/gras. Purchase tickets on site or through their website. They offer senior, military and first responder discounts. They also have group rates, host school groups and private events. Main Street is to your right as you enter. A wide dirt road with wooden structures on each side. Here you'll find a general store, trading post, candy shop, saloons, public restrooms, blacksmith, and lots of wild west and early settler memorabilia. For example, costumes from the Buffalo Bill show, native artifacts, weapons, horse tack, barber shop items, tools and much, much more. There are several coin operated kiddie rides along the sidewalks too. To the left of the entrance is the train station, Native American village and a chuck wagon and prairie schooner. We ate at the Golden Nugget Saloon, the only food option open during our visit. Walk-up counter service and a full bar. They have a stage for live music and public restrooms. The menu is mostly chicken prepared in a variety of ways, grilled cheese, panini, Soda, iced tea, coffee & tea. Food is brought to your table when ready. Bus your own table. There is one recycling bin by the bar- the only one I saw in the park. My vegetable panini was pretty good. Fresh, grilled veg with cheese melted over all in a panini press. I ordered a hot tea, which seemed to confuse everyone, but they sorted it out. This venue has been around since the 50's and for me, some of the 'wear' adds to the authenticity of feeling like a wild west town. I would not bring my kids to watch 'shoot outs', but there were plenty of kids and most were enjoying the shows and recreating shoot-outs among themselves. Until the caps in their cap guns ran out. You can buy those in the general store along with hats and t-shirts among other things. Be aware, the gun shots during shows are loud and there is a good deal of shouting during these recreations. If your child does not like loud noises check the show time schedule and plan to be away from Main St. during those shows. At the end of Main St., behind the saloon, you'll find mini-golf, panning for gems and a few animals (you cannot touch or feed them). You can walk through the woods to the woodsmans cottage, school house, Native American village and chuck wagon. There are staff members all around. There are several picnic tables on the grounds, many under the trees with trash barrels nearby. Corn hole is available between the stage coach and lariat tossing lessons. All in all we enjoyed the venue. The staff were engaging and funny. I very much enjoyed the small museum displays set up as store fronts such as the Stage Coach office or Barber for example. The coach ride is a fun experience that isn't available in many places. The train was a tight fit for the adults, but fun none the less.

Haven't been here since I was a kid and hubby doesn't remember going. So we decided to make a trip…read more It was cute, plenty of parking. But it was kind of expensive, for 2 ppl with a military discount it was over $70. Not worth the money, I think. Small place and we saw everything in about 1 1/2 hours. Staff are hit or miss. The actors are friendly, but the sales people, some are friendly and the others weren't. Glad we got to experience it but wouldn't go back. I don't know how families with kids could afford it.

The festival this year was different than it has been in the past. First and foremost the thing…read morethat really aggravated me and one of the reasons why it's a three star review is because they did not do the national anthem at the beginning. That just really left a sour taste in my mouth, I feel like we could take a few minutes to honor the United States in the beginning of a event. Also on Saturday it was all blues music, no zydeco Music. The food this year was just OK, seemed like a lot less choices. The grits were very runny with the shrimp and grits. There was no Louisiana style chicken, they had someone from New Jersey there, but the chicken was good. It seems as though the people from Louisiana we're not interested in showing up this year, which I can understand due to Covid.

I come to this festival every year. The live bands are great and the food and drinks are just as…read moregood. Bring a lounge chair, an umbrella and some family and friends for a day of fun!

Christmas magic! This was our first time attending this event, and my family had a wonderful time…read more We beat the crowds by going on Friday during the day. However, I'm sure that the nighttime would be delightful. The goods for sale are top quality. Not the junk that you'll find at some fairs. We purchased some items that will become treasured heirlooms. We also had some delicious German food, that was actually reasonably priced. Definitely check out the German food tent. This is a lovely holiday experience. I highly recommend.

Finally made it back to the German Christmas Market since it moved to the Sussex County Fairgrounds…read morefrom Lake Mohawk. So much to see, buy, & sample and lots of photo ops too. Eleven different food trucks & a biergarten with hot food from Hayek's Market. A carousel & petting zoo as well. LOTS of fun for families. Unfortunately, I liked it sooooo much better at Lake Mohawk. At Lake Mohawk, there was scenery, MORE Christmas ornaments instead of run-of-the-mill, year round crafts, Santa was nicer, and lastly, Krampus was there. This German Christmas Market 2.0 just seemed like a money grab to me.