We parked at the community college and bussed in. We got carded before heading on the bus which…read moresped up the time at the entrance. Food and beverages were delicious. Vendors were friendly and super fun!

I come to this event every year. Last year I pre-purchased the seafood sampler and I didn't have a…read moreproblem. This year it was total kace. At $25.00 I wish they had it together but they didn't. You could pick it up at 1pm at a particular location and the line was over a mile long. Now this was at 1pm. They ran out of food within 20 minutes. You had to constantly wait for this or wait for that. It was so annoying. I know I waited at least 30 more minutes for two items and they never did give us our bacon shrimp scallops. I had to ask about it and then they said oh we never got that in. So how about letting people know that. This was very disorganized. My advice don't purchase it. I know that next time. I will arrive early enough to make my own purchases at the different trucks. The lobster roll I purchased from Mason was really good. So the two stars is strictly for the seafood sampler.

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.

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.

My daughter and her friend went to the fair, bought two tickets using Apple Cash. The cashier lady…read moretold her it's pending so she should buy two more ticket. She tried to reason with her but had to buy again two ticket again showing pending but $60 was removed from her Apple Cash account. Not for teens to go and get ripped off.

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.

The Fairfax Fair is a Northern Virginia social institution!…read more Most people's first initiation into this yearly carnival is sometime around high school when they hold hands with a certain special someone on the ferris wheel or if they took the group date route, had worn matching tee shirts emblazoned with their crew's name in neon grafitti writing. Either way, the Fairfax Fair is the start of many, many blissful summer memories. A few of mine include: 1) The time I volunteered for a major sponsor of the event to dress up as the Cow from Cartoon Network's "Cow & Chicken". All of these little kids tried to pull my udders and punch me in the eye (which was conveniently located through Cow's open mouth). 2) The time my best friend performed on the Budweiser stage with her hs sign language choir. It was like an awkward scene out of Napoleon Dynamite that I will cherish in my heart forever. Whatever your age, gender, race, or socio-economic class the Fairfax Fair has something for everyone. Meat on a stick? Check. Laser light shows and fireworks? Check. Carnival rides? Check. Crazy circus carneys? Double check. Burnt out music artists from the 80's? QUADRUPLE CHECK!!! Musical guests have included eighties wonder kids Rick Springfield, Pat Benatar, Rob Base, Flava Flav, and more! I am secretly hoping that the Backstreet Boys will be hitting the county fair circuit soon so I can take care of some unfulfilled high school dreams. So anyways, what are you waiting for? The Fairfax Fair is coming to town this Friday, Saturday and Sunday!! Buy your tickets now -- the Fairfax Fair is your chance to do the Hump with Digital Underground himself. PS: If you don't know how to do the Humpty Dance here are a few rules: #1) Limp to the side like your leg is broken #2) Shake and twitch kinda like you're smokin'

I visited during the 2026 Season (their 50th) and it was my first time attending Opening Day of the…read moreseason. We arrived a little after they opened. Traffic was manageable. The last time I attended the festival was back in 2024, so I was looking forward to this visit. Once parked, we hoofed it to the entrance (it involved a lot of walking as their parking area is rather big). We made some notes on where we parked, so it would be easy to find our vehicle coming back and it was. Here is who we saw: Dash Rippington's Dangerously Stupid Show (not for me). Famous Death Scenes with NoBeard & Gwendolyn (enjoyed watching this) Jacques Ze Whipper (one of my favorites) Knightwings Birds of Prey (pretty cool) Militia Mayhem! (my friends wanted to see this) Paolo Garbanzo (my friends wanted to see this) Piper Jones (one of my favorites) Queen Mum (we didn't realize this person was a character until after we left the festival). Hope to see them at a future festival. Here is what we had (collectively) and enjoyed them all: Chai Shake (White Stag) Chicken Empanada (Kenwood Lane) Crepes (White Stag) Corn on the Cob (White Stag) Frozen Lemonade (Meadow Lane) Funnel Fries (Valley Meade) Mead and Raspberry Wine (Valley Meade) Roasted Cashews (Valley Meade) Smoked Turkey Legs (Kenwood Lane) We took advantage of refilling our water containers and visited some vendors I had never been to before. It reminded me that I need to do much more exploring at the festival. Already looking forward to my next visit.

This is our second time going to the Maryland Renaissance Festival, and I have to say it's truly…read moreimpressive. I'm not much of a Ren Fair goer, but go since my partner loves it so much. I just can't get over how massive this place is with activities for adults and kids alike. There are multiple stages, and the jousting show is truly impressive. My kids enjoy the juggling, all the puzzles, and of course, dressing up as princesses and princes. There is a lot of food on site. Overall, it's okay. I wouldn't say its the best food, but a good variety. There is also alcohol for purchase including wines, beer and of course, ancient mead. Some of the standouts on our latest visit was the free pony rides, and the rock wall. My son also liked playing the many games throughout the festival. One important tip: make sure you bring cash. Many of the vendors accept Apple Pay, or as they call it, sorcery. But you'll still find many vendors such as the soda/water vendors only taking cash.

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.

Peruvian festival is a festival of happy and friendly Peruvians and friends of Peru that just…read morecelebrated its 30th anniversary. The parking was good, no entrance fee, a lot of free stuff (ice creams, water, bags, jello's, etc...), plenty of Peruvian food choices. Entertainment was rich and fun as you can tell by the pictures - they even had the horses do the tricks... I had food that I had never tried before: Anticuchos - marinated and grilled calf hearts, was delicious meal, with the taste and texture close to a calf liver. Picarones - Peruvian doughnuts were soft and sweet. I was expecting they will be soggy but they were perfect, melting in mouth. This festival is very colorful, and had all the colors under the sun, not just red and whites (their flag). The festival is family friendly and even had a NPS stand where kids can learn and touch objects. Only problem with that is the lack of alcohol (I would have loved a Peruvian beer) but that is a small price to pay for an excellent Peruvian experience.