The reviews that complain about the price of items inside are just.......stupid. You may have legitimate complaints about $20 to get in on the weekends or paying to park in a field but to blame the fair on vendor prices takes a special kind of stupid. I'm going to focus on the positive, which there is a lot of. My two young children had such an amazing and educational time. From the area where they could pretend to plant seeds, then take their produce to the farmer's market, to our ever favorite bunny and bee buildings that have been generational staples of the best agricultural fair nearest Boston, THAT is what you go to Topsfield for and not $18 ice cream cones. We pet sheep, goats, cows, bunnies and fed chickens. I did a lot of these activities when I was a youngster at fairs all around the northeast and I'm happy to pass this on to my children. How detached we have become from where our food comes from in urban environments, I think even adults need a refresher on what farm life is like. While prices of rides can seem expensive at first and are made confusing on purpose in terms of what they cost in "credits", I broke it down to about $4 a ride after grabbing the card for my two kids and they got their fill of rides without paying the $90 in total to ride all day with a wristband. The Mexican lemonade stand in the adult ride area was the best! $5 refills when we could get watermelon and strawberry lemonades with fresh fruit in them was a crazy good hit as we all shared the different flavors on a 80+ degree day. Pro tip on not spending too much on food is finding the tents from the churches who have no profit motive, or at least less of one. I fed my family for $30 at the Congressional church spot which included a turkey dinner. Grilled cheese for $5 vs double that right around the corner was what did it for me and my hungry children. They could definitely better at the parking aspect. We tried getting there at fair opening and STILL waited almost an hour to get parked. Rt 1 traffic gets backed up so fast while they take cars one by one paying the $15 cash to get in. I don't know, maybe a booth concept with 5-6 open for different lanes would help. Topsfield Fair hasn't been around since 1818 for nothing. It's got a ton of free activities once inside, anything your empty belly desires that is on the unhealthy side, and of course people watching. It's probably not the best experience on the weekends with the crowds, definitely try and hit it up on a random Tuesday after work. read more

Topsfield Fair - Watching a chicken being born is so amazing to see and something 99.9% of us don't really ever get to experience - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Topsfield, Massachusetts

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We thought the fair was great this year! So many options of things to do and see, whether it was the animal barns or the craft spaces, or even the beekeeper area to see how honey is made. Food options GALORE, and the apple crisp is a must. Get the caramel sauce, you won't regret! Also, pictured is a whoopie pie from the whoopie pie stand at the fair, which was LOVELY! read more

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Definitely not worth the money they charge for anything $15 parking $20 entrance fee They have hand washing stations but they don't have any paper towels and tons of bees everywhere so beware. Gyro $16 Service was great and so was gyro 9/10 Annas Fried dough $10 10/10 was fresh and hot Singular Corn on the cob $4 10/10 Candy apple $9 9/10 Double what other fairs charge Apple crisp $16 8/10 but small for price Tanghulu candy fruit $14 8/10 Turkey Leg $20 1/10 and dry as the Sahara Ride prices/credits are absurd for rides that come Out of suitcases and ran by children. The big E is better and cheaper. read more

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Lots of fun even for small kids. Tons of food to pick from, vendors and rides for all kids ages. Food is insanely expensive and even more if paying by CC. Not a cheap day/night out whatsoever but lots of fun. read more

Topsfield Fair - Decor - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Topsfield, Massachusetts

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Such a nostalgic event to visit. It's gotten a lil bigger with more to see and do, but still felt the same. Lots of fair food, main stage for evening concerts, great barn areas with tons of displays, a rodeo area, and rides. It was all a lot of fun. We saw plenty of agriculture, animals, and shows. It was really a lot of fun to relive it all again after decades of not going. It's worth going, but go early to get parking in the closest parking lot, recommended to go during the week (M-Th) during the day as opposed to weekends when it's packed, tickets in advance were $15 or $20 at the gate. Parking was $15 too. Of course this could all change each year but you get the idea. If you get the chance this happens at the beginning of October each year and only lasts about 10 days. C'mon it's the oldest fair in America (1818). read more

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Wow what a horrible show: the balloon festival. It's better to learn to climb a tree to get a peak from above than pay $25 to get in a line to get on a balloon to rise the same height , or maybe less sometimes, and stay there for around 30-60 secs. The food places they got were the most inefficient I ever saw : wow, 2 hours to get a simple hotdog on a bun ? NO there wasn't like 500 people in front : maybe 30-40. And then there was the extreme rude behavior the Peking attendants (mostly was high on weed (smell dnt lie) thanks to them being legal everywhere. What idiots they were : not to mention a lot of the people showing up were high too. In all case, I guess it's good to avoid topsfield as although the cops and the city officials were super helpful and efficient rest of the folks were not. 1 extra star just for them. Did I say the loser show was a total gimmick? Probably 10 year olds with a few laser pens can pull off a better one. Dnt let their Facebook or other pictures fool you. Hire their marketing team if u have a business and want to make money. Never going back anything hosted there unless i know it's gonna be good from someone personal and reliable. read more

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I had a great time at the topsfeild fair this past weekend. Crowds are definitely larger than usual but vendors still remained kind and helpful. My only complaint is the price of rides has become extremely expensive. $10 per person to ride the Ferris wheel is just insane read more

This is my first time back in over 10 years. I came with my family on a Monday as it was sensory day for my autistic nephew. I was surprised to find a line as long as it was, but luckily they advised us that tickets can be purchased online. However, if we had purchased the tickets prior, we could've saved five dollars a ticket. From the first step into the last step we were eating. We started with their chicken tenders, grilled cheese, corn dogs and french fries. To be honest that first stall is kind of a poor start to the day. You definitely have to look around more to find these more quality food options. Such options included the Mexican street corn, pulled pork sandwich, lots of all soup, Keylime pie, Boston cream pie and the blooming onions from spuds. Overall, my family and I had a lot more fun than what I was expecting. Fortunately for us the weather was perfect for walking around and taking our time as it wasn't freezing nor was it hot. I recommend others to bring their friends and families! read more

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The pricing for this fair has become unreasonable for what it offers. I'm genuinely curious to know what kind of revenue they're bringing in. Charging $15 for parking and $20 for admission means a family of four pays $95 just to walk through the gates. We won't be attending again. My children used to look forward to this fair every year, but this time the animals and exhibits were noticeably sparse, and the food was subpar. We'll make the trip to Fryeburg instead if we want a true fair experience. Like many others, we're experiencing hyper-inflation fatigue -- and we're tired of businesses using it as an excuse for excessive pricing. read more

Attended this year 2022... definitely too expensive with Brandon inflation for families this year... Parking $15.00 ... should be free Then admission 20.00 ... 18.78 or 19 bucks for turkey leg overcooked as sitting too long as few buying now... Fried dough 10 bucks ... material costs only fraction of this cost... too high for a piece of dough, hot dogs range 8-12 bucks? 5 fried Oreos 8 bucks, pizza slice 8-12 bucks, The animals and shows, and learning opportunities make it worth visiting, but bring a picnic basket for lunch before or after the visit in parking lot ... price of rides, games, forget it.... Add more free events and exhibitions to allow people to still enjoy without spending a weeks pay on a few hour visit....meanwhile vote for people to reduce inflation to the families trying to survive. read more

Topsfield Fair - Largest pumpkin ever in 200 year history - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Topsfield, Massachusetts

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What is it with the crazy pricing? Just to walk in the door you are out $35 for parking and admission. Many of the food vendors don't have their prices posted. (This may actually be illegal.) $17 dollars for a turkey leg (or giving up your first born.) $14 for a not so great sausage and pepper sandwich. $10 for funnel cake. $5 for a Coke, etc. Not family friendly from that perspective. The animals are great. The bathrooms clean and the people friendly. We urge the Fair administration to better control the vendors and the food pricing. read more

Topsfield Fair is highly recommended for families. There's plenty of things to do by yourself, but it's not as fun. They have carnival rides and games. Bunny farm for people to buy a pet. Also, there's shows there as well. Parking is super convenient as well, even though it's $10. The only downside is it's $15 to get in, and then you have to pay more for everything else. I would like to skip the admission fee and pay for the rides instead. read more

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45 minute drive turned into 1.5 hour drive because the local police close streets all around the fair to funnel all traffic into and out of fair into single entry/exit points. If you're patient enough, you pay $15 for parking after that traffic plus entry fee followed by insane food prices. The prices are cringe-worthy for fair food. I get it that it's more exp, but this is embarrassing. I'm sorry Topsfield fair but you've lost me for life and I can't recommend this to friends or viewers here This is straight up gouging without anything to show for that. Good luck read more

We have been bringing our kids here for many years. While we still enjoy it, the cost over time has gone up dramatically and I'm really disappointed. I'm giving 3 stars because of the cost. $15 to park (used to be $10 and it's far from hassle free - even at 10:30 am we had to park at a farm down the street and take a school bus). $20 ticket fee (bought tickets ahead of time for $12 each - highly recommend). $16 for four chicken fingers and soggy fries. $20 for a small cheeseburger and better fries, but still not worth $20. $14 for 12 onion rings. Good, but $7 would have been overpriced IMO. $14 for Learners apple crisp ($9) with ice cream ($5). Good, was better in the past. $7 for a lemonade that didn't taste like fresh squeezed which for $7 it should be. This year there were way fewer animals on display - many empty rabbit and bird cages - no sheep at all that we saw. A handful of pigs. I'm sure it was covid related but it's hard to feel good when it's $20 to get in and look at empty cages. It's small enough that you need about three hours if you eat, less if you don't. Maybe an hour or two more for rides which will be mostly standing in line. I think there's no way they can continue to charge these prices or allow the vendors charge the prices they are for food. People seriously will not be able to afford to attend. read more

So disappointed with the overpriced admission, parking, food, and rides. Kids over 8 are $20, same as an adult and $15 to park. There were less actual activities and vendors and more overpriced rides and games. Convince fee to purchase ride tickets when it's already about $5 for a 2 min ride. They were charging $16 for apple crisp and $12 for fried dough. It's just not an enjoyable family experience anymore. I won't be back. If you're looking for an alternative, the Woodstock fair is more reasonable and the big E admission is the same but you get a lot more activities for your money. read more

Cashier on Friday at 12 noon by the name of Michelle was the most obnoxious rude person. I stepped up to the window and said "two please" she responded "40 dollars" ... she handed me my ticket (s) , receipt and card back I went hand a ticket to my husband and realized I received one ticket ... I stepped back up to the window and said I only got one ticket and she responded you only asked for one. no no I didn't .. if she said 40 dollars that's 2 tickets! Absolutely no need for her to be rude ... people make mistakes ... she did yet she couldn't own it.... Not sure if cashiers are volunteers but needless to say Michelle was not a great representative of the fair. read more

Been going to the Faire for 45 years. I'm afraid it's the last time. The prices are out of control. There are less exhibits and More expensive food stands. No prices were displayed. That should have tipped me off. $25 bucks for a regular fries and 2 cokes. The final straw was the apple crisp that used to be 8 bucks... $17 bucks. Just all around disappointing. I gave it one star for the few animals I saw. read more

Topsfield satisfies all of your fair cravings. It's not Texas or the Big E, but it's got animals and rides and fried foods. Parking sucks. Expect to pay $10 and walk on the road. Also expect massive traffic getting in and out of the place if it's a sunny weekend, I recommend getting here early. Admission is $12 on a weekday, $15 on a weekend. If at all possible, I recommend going on a weekday because the lines are shorter, less traffic, easier and cheaper parking, and it's just a lot more enjoyable when there isn't 50,000 other people trying to pet the same goat as you. If you're military or senior, they have designated days when the admission is waived. My favorite part of the whole fair are the animals! They have pigs (smelly), lots of chickens, ducks, turkeys etc. Sheep, goats, rabbits, cows, horses. One sad looking elephant and a camel, both available for short sad rides around a short sad circle (the things we do now for a photo). Watching baby chicks hatch has to be the coolest thing ever. It's not for those in a hurry but wow what magic can unfold before our very eyes! The petting zoo is a must do and they have hand washing stations nearby. Quarter machines are available to buy feed for the animals. They even have a guy there that gives you change! Food is really really bad for you. All fried, overpriced, and to be honest doesn't look so clean. When in Rome I guess. But take it easy if you don't want to end up in an ambulance in a few years. Rides are super expensive and the ticket system does not even make sense. They sell 4 tickets for $5 and 20 tickets for $25, so there is really no discount for buying in bulk. Unless you want to buy 55 tickets for $50, which is hardly even any discount. No single tickets are sold. If they offer an unlimited ride bracelet, perhaps consider doing that but after looking at all the rides, the only one I was interested in was the zipper and that was 5 tickets. Since I didn't want to pay $10 for a zipper ride and throw away the other 3 tickets (3 ticket rides were pretty lame), I opted to not ride anything. With a season pass to Six Flags that cost about $56 and can be used all over the country for 15 months with way bigger thrill rides, why would anyone pay $50 for ten rides at a fair? read more

I have heard so much about the Topsfield Fair, I finally decided to journey out to Topsfield and check it out. We drove out route 1 to Topsfield this past weekend. The drive was the best part of the day. We parked in a field and took a 5 minute ride up the road to the fairground. This was the first fair I had been to so I did not know what to expect. It was $10.00 for parking and $15.00 to get in. It was for the Essex Agricultural Society so it was going to a good cause. We went in and walked around the fairground which was mainly rides and fast food booths. There was a building featuring vegetables grown by local people including a giant pumpkin 2300 pounds. Now that was kewl. That was the hi-lite of the day. There was a building with horses, another with cows. There also was a building there that had vendors displaying their products. One person was selling mattresses. Who goes to a fair to buy a mattress? We had displayed once yarn at a Wool festival so I understood why they would have such a building ........but a mattress! We walked around for about a half an hour and then left. I am glad I went so I knew what people were talking about. I think I would have been more attuned to the fair if I was displaying vegetables, or a farm animal. read more

Just got home from the Topside Fair, it was fun, but so expensive. Parking was $15, admission was $20 per person, bracelets for the rides were another $40 per person. Don't get me started on the food and games ‍ The bigger rides didn't open until the evening because of the weather, despite an email stating they wouldn't open at all, and a few of the better ones had really long lines not worth waiting in. The food was what you'd expect at a fair and the animals were cute, music was way too loud at the dog competition pool though. A lot of the vendors and ride attendants were very nice. Might go back next year. read more

Here's a much easier way of experiencing what the topsfield fair 2019 has to offer: Sit in your car for an hour or two to simulate looking for parking. Throw away $10 for parking and $15 (per person) for admission. You could throw individual dollars (really, $5 bills) at impossible targets to simulate games if you're into that. Or just flush it down a toilet. Whatever. Go to the dollar store and buy some stupid plastic crap. While you're out buy some fried food but make sure you pay 3 times any reasonable price for said food. Last, go to the most crowded place and overwhelming place you can think of and walk around for several hours. You'll miss out on some cute animals but consider walking around a dog park, animal shelter or a store that sells rabbits if those still exist. read more

Never again! I can't believe this fair is so popular when it costs $ money $ for absolutely everything! My friend invited me to come last minute since she had a groupon that was expiring last year. It sounded like fun so I offered to drive. Oh woes me... it just went downhill as soon as we got off the exit to Topsfield at around 3PM. There was only a one lane road to the event and the traffic was backed up for a couple miles. Guess how long it took to actually make it to parking? ONE HOUR! We could have walked there faster...Some people even bailed and made a u-turn to get out of this mess. Our reward after an hour of patience was paying $10 for parking even though we had a groupon for entrance into the park. Who do they think they are? Topsfield is not in Boston! Anyway I was already fuming after parking and wasting gas to get there. Once we entered the grounds we saw so many food stands that were tempting such as fried klondike but unfortunately that was sold out. The atmosphere is similar to a local carnival as they have rides you can pay additional money for. The free activities we tried was the animal farm, they had cows, bunnies, pigs etc... We also saw the bee farm display but of course there was a line snaking around there as well. We ate a few snacks and exhausted our entertainment in the area after 45 minutes so we just headed home for the day. I have to admit that Connors Farm less than 2 miles away is much more entertaining with more activities available with the entrance fee than the Topsfield fair plus no additional charge for parking. I would never come back here even if I got free passes. read more

I am officially done with this fair. It has become way too big for its own good. Everything is packed in so tight that it makes it super uncomfortable on a busy day. Nothing I like better than being stuck in huge crowds with 75% middle aged guys in dirty white sneakers, baggy jeans with a chain wallet and graphic T-shirt's that rip 45 butts an hour. The rides are in absolutely terrible shape and the system they use for the ride tickets is incredibly idiotic. I had a blooming onion there that was miserable in every sence of the word, and my daughter said her chicken fingers tasted like elastics. The only reason this isn't a one star is because I was extremely impressed by how clean the older man kept the bathrooms near the fruit and vegetable house. They should hire him to reorganize the fair because he seemed like the only person there qualified to do their job. Topsfield Fair, miserable. read more

Good time eat junk food till you get sick. Spend a shitload of money and wait in traffic. And I'll come back every year read more

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The Topsfield Fair may have a few redeeming qualities but I can't rate it more than one star on principle alone. It is 2018 and we've evolved enough as a society to acknowledge that animals should never be exploited for entertainment. Yet the practice continues. More of us need to take an active stand and boycott all events that exploit animals, including the Topsfield Fair, because every single person who simply pays admission and walks through those gates is complicit in these animals' suffering. I've never seen a sadder elephant than poor Beulah Mae. She has been imprisoned and abused by Commerford and Sons for over 20 years and needs to be released to a sanctuary to peacefully live out her remaining years. Please contact your state senator and state representative and ask them to support Massachusetts Bill H.418, which would ban elephants from traveling shows. Also, please consider donating to the Nonhuman Rights Project, which is fighting for Beulah Mae and the other animals owned by Commerford and Sons. That still leaves the camels, goats, sheep, llamas, rabbits, cows, pigs, chickens, turkeys, horses, and countless other animals. It is unnecessary for them to be on constant display for the prying eyes and hands of humans. They should always remain on whatever farm they came from, not transported and then trapped in small pens and cages at a chaotic fair. The scope of it is overwhelming. I was horrified by the rows of rabbits in individual cages, each affixed with a price tag. After that, I refused to venture into most areas. It is possible to have animals present without simultaneously exploiting them. One idea is to invite sanctuaries and rescue groups that can showcase animals in a humane way, but more importantly, educate the public about respect and compassion for animals. The keyword here is showcase, not display. But ideally, if people want to interact with animals, they should go to a farm or sanctuary and meet them in their own homes. As for me, I will not be returning to the Topsfield Fair. If you call what they're currently doing tradition or educational, you're only fooling yourself. read more

Pros: -Groupon available for $5 off the weekend ticket price ($15) and ability to skip the entrance line (which was not very long at 3pm). -Lots of food vendors. Would recommend the fudge--lots of options, $2 for a piece. A bit expensive, but tasty! -Tip: you can park at the Masconomet high school for $5 and take a shuttle to the fair to save 50% on parking ($10 next to the fairgrounds). The shuttle comes every 10 minutes and it's a 5-10 minute ride. Shuttle drivers and staff were very kind, too! Cons: -We felt bad for all of the animals put on display for kids in most of the exhibits (petting zoo, various caged animals, elephant/pony rides). -Aggressive ride operators and trade show salespeople trying to drum up business -Food is expensive -Most/all vendors are cash only read more

I had a great time at Topsfield Fair when I went a week back! My boyfriend had discounted park tickets (admission and rides included) from work. From what I read on Yelp, there were also Groupon tickets available. I can definitely see how this fair can get pricey between admission, parking, tickets to fair attractions, games, and food. The main qualm I had was with the different vendors trying to sell their games. They were pretty annoying and pushy with trying to get customers at their game booths. I surely understand their attempts to drum up business, but no means no! The food stands, however, were awesome. We tried Richie's Italian Ice, fried dough, chicken fingers, loaded hot dog, pizza, kettle corn, and potatchos. I do think there could've been more options as I know the Big E in Springfield had more variety. Pro tip: make sure you take out enough cash! There are ATMs on-site, but we all know how that goes: ATM fees and lines. Parking for us was pretty simple. Truth be told, the $10 parking fee is a rip-off considering that fair-goers are parking on a big patch of grass. I'm assuming the money goes to ground's maintenance once the fair is over. We got to the Topsfield Fair around 12pm, and since we had our tickets already, we skipped the long line to buy admission passes. I would definitely recommend coming prepared with park admission and ride tickets! If we didn't have these beforehand, I don't think my experience would have been as seamless. I think Topsfield Fair was a solid second option for a seasonal fair. The original plan was to go to the Big E, but that would mean driving almost 2 hours. From my location, the drive took 30-45 minutes one way. If you're looking for a fun fall activity, I would give this fair a go! read more

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We love Topsfield Fair! Our kids look forward to it every year. My only complaint is that it's pricey $$$ With parking, admission, food and rides. I spend $200-300 easily in one day. But the have great exhibitions, shows, it's a fun day for the whole family. My kids are 13,6 and 4. read more

My first time at Topsfield Fair and what a great time I had. Ok, let's be real here. It was all about the FOOOOODD!!! So much food!! I had to control myself from all the desserts and fried foods. Bring Cash cause you'll be wanting to buy everything you see. We had a great time with all the exhibits and races too! I got to participate in the duck race. Yes, I'm over the age of 10 and I was raising my hand like a kid and didn't care. Little baby pigs, Little baby rabbits - do I need to say anymore. I wish I had more time in the day cause we didn't get to see everything. This is an all day event.. bring the kids, bring cash, and have fun! Parking is $10. There's discounted parking on weekends available at Masconomet Regional High School and at the Danvers Campus of North Shore Community College. There is a free shuttle running between the parking locations and the fairground. read more

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This is no longer an agricultural fair. It is one fried food truck after another and so jammed full of people that you are in survival mode. Animals? What animals? I saw more diversity in livestock on my way there. No farmer would bring a prize animal and display it at that s&(+ show. Awful and a waste. read more

Cows were good, never saw them resting before. Parking people and police yelling. Bus drivers nice. Being handicapped If we were allowed to park nearby, without a bus ride, that'd be good. Big horses were nice. Not a soft and fuzzy experience. The Marshfield fair is better. If you have handicapped plates, there very nice. read more

Visited this fair with my daughter and niece. Pay to park ($10 and they squish you in tight). GET THERE EARLY!!! You will enjoy closer/less stressful parking, more shoulder room to walk around and fast lines. Admission is $15 per person (unless 8 or younger). Had a bag check which was well organized. Awesome parade which was fun and went around the whole fairgrounds. Loved the flower exhibit and seeing some of the animals who seemed comfortable. Lots of rides and games for kids (vendors/operators were pushy and were eating while talking some even smoking cigarettes). Food was as to be expected over priced and nothing special. I'm glad we went, but I'm not sure I would go back because for the money I wasn't super impressed. We had a nice time as a family sitting by the mini stage where picnic tables were they had a great singer and guitarist. Definitely something to do it your into fair culture and in the area or a short trip away. read more

They have a big bathroom roomy for Cece & but they don't have a baby changer. The place is expensive but hey what do you expect you're at the fair! read more

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I really don't understand the hype associated with this fair, as I personally wasn't very impressed. Yes, there's the classic fair food and a few rides and attractions. However, this place isn't that big and everything is just mediocre (and of course expensive, but that's true about all fairs). I'm from the south, where fairs are much larger and more extravagant. This was no where near as good. Even the food selection isn't very vast for a fair. There aren't too many rides, although they seem to have the good ones which is a pro. Not worth my time and I will not be going again. read more

Went to the Topsfield fair on Oct 12 and it wasn't anything like I remembered. Since the parking lots were filled up, we had to be detoured to North Shore Community College. From there we had to take a school bus to the fairgrounds. The ride was longer than expected but my kids loved it. They allowed two rows of seats just for strollers which was convenient. When we got there, the lines were so long. They moved pretty slow. They had to do a bag check before you entered, then you got a green tag that they wrapped around your bag if everything checked out ok. There weren't as many rides for the kids. They're were less than 10 altogether. There weren't that many games either. Some were just boring while others were similar to the stands next to them. There were soooooo many food stands I thought the fair was mainly about eating. The only thing I bought was popcorn which I have to admit was delicious! The ticket stand was hard to find. Not sure I'd there was more than one bit I didn't see any signs for them so my husband began to look for one. It was too difficult to find around all the people that were walking by. There were a couple of petting zoos with different animals. Of course the cow had to fart as we walked past! We cleared out of there quick! I didn't visit the section where the rides were for adults. I was aggravated at the amount of people that I had to squeeze by just to get 5 feet ahead of myself. All in all, it was an okay time. I wish the kids could have went on more rides and played more games. I'm not too sure if I'll be back next year. read more

Topsfield Fair - Pretty crowded in the kiddie section. It was worse in other sections. - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Topsfield, Massachusetts

I bought a Groupon $40 for 4 adults to the fair. Children under 8 is free with accompanying paying adult. The fairground is small compared to Big E. The single lane road leading to the fairground is jam packed if you go late. Aim to go as early as you can. We reached the fairground at 9AM, no traffic or crowd. Perfect timing on our part. First thing on the agenda- go get the turkey leg from hearth and dragon (I believe that's their name). They smoked their own turkey legs fresh daily. At $11 a leg, that was a bargain meal. Enough to fill you up for the rest of the day. Their fried potato chip was equally good. Crispy and full of flavor. Whilst you are there, do visit the NH maple syrup farm stand and ask for a free sample of their maple syrup. One of the better version of pure maple syrup money can buy. Next up, the fresh apple cider store outside the museum and fair building. Theirs is freshly pressed. I saw people going for their apple cider donuts as well. Other food stands weren't as memorable. We did try ribs from the bbq stand. It was alright but nothing to write home about. Overall we had a fun time at the fair. It's definitely smaller than the Big E and everything is expensive. But considering it's a once a year affair, I will say just go and have fun with the family. Oh, and they keep the restroom pretty clean, which is a huge plus. read more

Sadly, the fair I used to enjoy going to is now gone. The Topsfield Fair has become extremely overpriced, especially the food. It was $15 for parking and another $20 for actual admission (higher because we went on a weekend day.) Food prices have gone up since the last time I went. I got the turkey sandwich that had stuffing and cranberry sauce in it. It was edible but looked like it had been sitting around for a few hours and definitely not worth the $15 I paid for it. A slice of apple pie from Learned's was $9 and really wasn't that great--the apple filling was gummy and gross and reminded me of the one that comes in a can. Didn't even have any cinnamon or spices in it. As my friend remarked, it seemed that half of the fairgrounds were dedicated to food stations. A lot of the cages in the poultry and rabbit buildings were empty, probably due to not as many people participating. Overcrowded, long lines everywhere, and just not the enjoyable experience it used to be. Oh, and they check your bag after you pay admission, which I can understand but it's still sad. Doubt I'll be back. read more

Really need an entrance for handicap parking people because otherwise by the time you walk to the end of the line you may as well have parked in the regular parking area. Quite simply add an extra line for the people entering from handicapped parking. Once at the fair things are great! Entertainment is good, the Clydesdale horses were most impressive. The man standing atop the tall pole swaying back and forth was sure to set you heart a flutter! Food is always great at the fair! The blooming onion is a goodie! The tempura vegetables are awesome! However, hang onto your wallets cause the prices are a bit steep but, hey, they put a couple coupons in the fair map and list of things to do! So, go, enjoy and have a blast! read more

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It's the 2011 Topsfield Fair! This fair is close to Boston. It's a half hour away at most straight up route one. But if you don't know what you're doing you will end up paying $10 to park. IF you don't know know what you're doing you will end up paying about $4 or $5 a ride. Imagine forking over 5 bucks to ride a ferris wheel for like 5 minutes? Pleeeeez. There are some good rides and some really really shitty wastes of money. The swings that lift you about 100 feet up are great. The Zipper ride that looks like it might fall apart is great. The ride where you spin really fast and stick to the wall is great. The newer rides are pretty good. It helps if you're with kids but not necessary. Anything that looks like a haunted house or a funhouse is to be avoided. Cheesy as hell. No redeeming value. They have a dunk tank with a clown/asshole making fun of people. This is great just to watch people getting dissed. The Topsfield fair is really two separate places. The Midway is run by Fiesta Shows and is full of unwinnable games and the rides mentioned above. You can blow through a LOT of cash playing the stupid games and the people who work there are some of the scariest, creepiest people on the earth. The other part is the food, the shows, the animals, the farmers,..... the real country fair stuff and that is quaint, fun and my favorite parts personally. These people are mostly locals and supporting them is a good thing. Although, the chinese have like 50 spots selling animal hats and blankets. (why let them rent so many spots?) ignore their crap. NOW I know that was long preamble but here is my guide to enjoying Topsfield. Drive to the Topsfield Common and park at the supermarket, or the church or anywhere where you can leave your car free. Then it's a nice 1 1/2 mile walk down the Danvers rail trail back to route one and the park. (ask anyone for directions. It's easy) saved $10. It's too late now but next year remember this. A week before the fair opens go to the ticket office at the fair grounds and get your ride tickets. You get 20 rides for 20 bucks! Instead of 4 rides for 21 bucks. If you live near the fair you get even bigger discounts. NOW, one more trick for next year. The first day of the fair is a huge parade starting at the common. Meet there at 9 walk the route with all of us Cub Scouts and everyone else and just waltz into the fair for free. The Duck and Pig races are fun. The cattle, poultry, pigs, flowers, giant pumpkins, horses...... despite the smell, are a great escape. I love the hands on stuff. Petting cows and horses. What's not to like. You can wash your hands after. Elephant and camel rides for the kids and a great petting zoo. Live entertainment. Magic shows, bands, Name entertainers, kids shows....... FOOD. Much of the food is a rip off. BUT not all. The cider donuts are being made fresh and HOT nonstop and are $4.50 for 6. I ate 12. SO GOOD. Bacon dogs. Turkey ,stuffing,cranberry sauce sandwiches, Tempura, Deep fried Twinkies, Whoopie Pies, Knishes, PIES!!!! also tons of free samples. I ate a half a pizza for free. They also have awesome Kettle Corn....... Blow off the fried dough, burgers, corn dogs or anything you can get up the road for half price. You'd have to be a fool seriously not to find a way to have fun at a fair. But the world's half full of fools. Go to the Topsfield Fair with the other half. Have FUN! read more

Insane amount of traffic in and out. Pretty much 80% food vendors. No arts and crafts just cheap dollar store type merchandise. So crowded you could hardly move. Also way too many political vendors. Last thing I want at a fair is to be bombarded with campaign signs. read more