Arlington County Fair

Most of it was okay, but they should vet there vendors. Some of the food shops were just awful. Plain rude.

The rides and inside displays were okay.

This year was my first time visiting the Arlington County Fair and I really enjoyed it. First, the location was convenient and I was able to find parking a short distance away. It was also pretty spread out, so you didn't feel like everyone was on top of each other even though there were a lot of people. I had been looking forward to having a funnel cake for weeks lol, so it was nice to finally get one there. They had an area with tables and shade where you could sit and eat, and enjoy live music.

We walked around and played a few of the games, which was fun. The ticket lines started getting long, so we ended up buying tickets from a mom who's kid refused to go on the rides. We got on one that had all of us screaming, but it was a lot of fun. Overall, we had a great time.

Great idea, but terrible execution.

How do you have a free entry event, but no capacity control? I repeat, NO CAPACITY CONTROL! They make you spend $25 for raffle tickets to ride only about 4-5 rides (a rip off to be honest), but once you get in line for the rides, there is a 2 hour wait for each ride. Did we wait? No. We left and came back in the morning so we didn't have to waste $25. BUT WHO WANTS TO RIDE A ROLLERCOASTER AT 11AM!?!?!

Have a controlled entry with capacity control or get a bigger venue. It's that simple.

A fun, local fair. It has all your fair basics--classic rides, foods, and games. There's also indoor community booths, competitions, and shops. It's a bit small and not something you could spend more than a couple hours at, but still a fun time. Parking isn't that challenging, but the streets immediately around the fair are all permit parking only, so if you want street parking, you will need to take a short walk.

What a joy! I was looking for something to pass by and glad I stumbled up the county fair dates. Though from my location I honestly could've walked, I opted to park at the recreation center and ride a school bus over for $2. The bus came quickly and she even waited for people as they were obviously walking over.

Nice variety of vendors and their lines weren't ever too long. The cheese fries and candied apples were really good and at a decent price. My least favorite was the snoball that was about $11 I believe. Not worth the lack of flavor. I also grabbed some beer from the beer park. I liked that it had its only little area. Muddy outside so I didn't go too far towards the games but I enjoyed and liked that there was space to sit.

An underwhelming fair to say the least. It's pretty small in my opinion. For a city as big as Arlington, this fair gave me small town vibes. I noticed this place has some typical fair rides. Unfortunately, I did not see many games to play. The main source for food was food trucks, which isn't bad, but was hoping for more typical fair food.

Parking is not easy to find, unless you're lucky. You have to park either in a garage or at a church about a five minute walk. Check the website for details.

Even though I grew up in Western PA which can turn from suburban to rural very quickly, I'd never been to a county fair. I had seen the advertising though and from what I remembered there were lots of animals, tractors, questionably safe rides, fried everything on a stick, and games that are impossible to win. This fair wasn't entirely what I was expecting. Yes, there were the questionably safe rides and games that looked rigged but 0 animals (unless you count the butterfly "exhibit") or farm-related anything. Here is the good and bad broken down:

1. Rides: they had two Ferris wheels although one was not really enclosed nor did it have seatbelts. There were a total of 3 rides (carousel and the two Ferris wheels) that we could take our 9 month old on. Ride tickets were $1 a piece and most rides took 4-6 tickets.

2. Games: we didn't play any except for the pick a duck from the pond game where everyone wins a prize. Of course our son chose the first fuck he could grab and proceeded to try to put it in his mouth. His tambourine prize was broken by the time we got home.

3. Food: typical fair food and overpriced. Husband got cotton candy but that's it.

4. Entertainment: we tried to watch a kids magic show but it was 96 degrees outside so we didn't last long. It was entertaining though.

5. Indoor exhibits: mostly just the place for the competitive exhibits. We got some cute pics of our son with the largest squash and largest pumpkin. Overall though, not impressive but did beat the heat outside.

6. Parking: what a mess! There's no parking nearby so you have to park at satellite areas and take shuttles.

7. Butterfly enclosure: this cost extra but was essentially a tent with plants and butterflies to get up close to butterflies. After paying , you were given a sugar stick to attract them. We got some cute pictures but it was stifling in that tent so we didn't last long.

Overall this fair was ok. I'd maybe return next year but might prefer to check out a non-urban fair for a complete experience.

The fair was fun, but poorly organized. First, getting there... If you don't live within walking distance, good luck... There's no on-site parking, so you might have to drive to a metro station, take a train to the ballston station, then take a shuttle bus (that's poorly marked - the metal poster that says "Arlington Fair" is not where you stand, you have to walk to the opposite side of the metro entrance) to the fair. Then, it's on the "honor system" to pay your $1 shuttle ride...

Also, at the fair, we couldn't find the entrance to the vendors. It took about 4 tries to different locked doors (sounds like a fire hazard) to finally get in. However, the rides and games were great; and the vendors had great items. big disappointment was the food. I expected high high prices, but about $20 for one food item is highway robbery. Grab a snack first before going.

Although fun, I don't think I will be back. I just don't think it's worth it to take 1.5 hours in total to get to a fair and pay $25 for a street food lunch.

I don't think the Arlington County fair truly accomplishes what it sets out to do. For a town that seems to gentrify itself daily, this little fair is surprisingly bland. It feels so small potatoes and a little outdated.

The three stars is more of an honorary mention. I do enjoy seeing local art work and chatting with local vendors. Let's not forget free samples!

With nothing to do on a Thursday evening, I sat with my chicken-on-a-stick and enjoyed the beautiful 80-degree weather. All-in-all it was better than staying inside.

Best.Fair.Ever!! My family and I love this Fair!! It is a Family Tradition! We are a blended family and we have attended from 1998 thru the present with our 3 daughters (through middle school, high school, and college). We now go every year with their spouses and children. It is the Best Fair because there are just enough rides, and games for everyone! There are cows that the children can pet and horses to ride. There are crafts to view and/or buy. There are fire trucks where children can learn and sit in! It is not a large fair where you have to walk what seems to be miles to get to each ride or game and this is great if you have small children and babies. It's just enough with something for everyone! We always have the best time ever, every year, and you will too!!