As Summer rolls around, residents of the Hudson Valley begin to get excited about the the many Festivals and County Fairs that take place.

Each county has its own County Fair on their Fairgrounds and there are also an array of smaller fairs that take place all around the Hudson Valley. We’ve visited many Fairs and can tell you that the Dutchess County Fair is our favorite by far! 

The Dutchess County Fair is one of the most popular Summer Fairs and we can see why people come from all around to experience it!  

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Where/When does the Dutchess County Fair Take Place?

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Dutchess County Fairgrounds
6636 U.S. 9, Rhinebeck, NY
www.dutchessfair.com

The Dutchess County Fair is held every August at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds in Rhinebeck, NY.

According to Google Maps, the Fairgrounds are approximately 90 minutes North of Yonkers, early in the morning before the Fair has even started.

That being said, there is one road in and one road out of the Fairgrounds, so expect a whole lotta traffic. This is a popular event and, of course, the weekends are more crowded. So allow yourself plenty of time and lots of patience to get there.

“For six days each August, the bucolic fairgrounds on Route 9, in Rhinebeck, plays host to nearly half a million patrons. The second largest county fair in New York State is the showplace for agriculture in Dutchess County.

The tradition of excellence that has been the Dutchess County Fair for over 170 years offers something for everyone and creates memorable moments that will be cherished for a lifetime.”

According to their Website

FYI:
Only tickets purchased in advance (on their website)
are being honored at the 2021 Dutchess County Fair

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The Dutchess County Fair is a Food-lovers Dream

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Fair Food is Amazing!!!! With all the choices available for you to enjoy, the Dutchess County Fair has the greatest selection we’ve seen…. Hands Down!

They have an Entire section of the Fair called the “Food Mall” (Great name, don’t you think?) housing an incredible assortment of food vendors. 

Some food vendors we saw included:

• Sausage and Peppers
• Chicken Wings
• Hamburgers & Hot Dogs
• London Broil Sandwiches
• Taco & Burrito Bowls
• BBQ Foods
• Ice Cream
• Popcorn
• And Best of All….. Fries!!!! 😀 (Which is our Go-To Every Year!)

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The Dutchess County Fair offers Top-Notch Entertainment

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Not only does the Fair offer Great Shows at the Main Stage/GrandStand, they also offer free entertainment throughout the Fairgrounds.

Some of the Free Entertainment that you can find throughout the Fair include:

• Talent Show
• Rosaire’s Racing Pigs
• Milord’s High Dive Show
• Hilby the Skinny German Juggle Boy
• And much more….

The Summer this post was written (2017), my daughter and I saw “3 Doors Down” in Concert and the year before (2016), we saw “Third Eye Blind” in concert at the Grandstand for a very affordable price.

2018 Featured “The WallFlowers” in concert, as well as, Kane Brown, Chris Lane and Kip Moore. 

They have different ticket options; the most affordable being the General Admission Floor. They also offer assigned, covered benches for an additional fee. 

Also performing during the 2017 Fair in the GrandStand:

• Brothers Osborne
• Marshall Tucker Band
• Old Crow Medicine Show

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The Dutchess County Fair offers rides that Everyone will enjoy

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The Fair offers wristbands for ride packages, as well as, individual ticket sales for those who only want to experience a hand full of rides.  

There are plenty of rides for all; including Classic Fair rides, like the Ferris Wheel and Swing Ride 

The Dutchess County Fair offers a nice variety of rides for younger children in their Kiddie Land Section.

Some highlights include: the Carousel and Pony Rides, as well as, as small Roller Coaster. 

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The Dutchess County Fair has a Petting Zoo and other up-close animal encounters 

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In addition to the Petting Zoo, Camel Rides, Pony Rides, and various Barns housing animals from Llamas to rabbits, the Fair added a Sting Ray encounter to the list.

I loved the exhibit and, best of all, it was Free (a donation was suggested). 

The families at this exhibit seemed to enjoy it as much as I did.

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Other Fun Activities at the Dutchess County Fair:

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• Games, Games and more Fair Games. Everywhere you turn there were an array of Carnival Games. 
• Face painting booth (for a fee)
• Sand Art Booth (for a fee)
• A unique Indoor Flea Market offering a variety of vendors

Now that you’ve seen all the great things at the Dutchess County Fair, make sure you make this event something that you visit, at least once…

Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.

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A Few Things to Know Before Visiting the Dutchess County Fair:

• This fair is perfect for: Everyone – Young and Old
• Cost: At the time of posting, General Admission is $12/pp
• Days/Hours: The Fair takes place over 6 days every August only
• Parking: There is always FREE parking
• The Fair is Wheelchair Accessible
• They have ATM stations on site for your convenience
• The Fair offers Comfort and Baby Stations on Site in addition to the bathroom
• No Pets (other than Service animals) are allowed on the Fairgrounds
• All Events take place Rain or Shine

Until the Next Adventure…

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