Capital Region county fairs 2016
A late-summer scene. / photo: Crystal Capritta
County fair season in the Capital Region starts this week with the Saratoga County Fair in Ballston Spa. And as move through August, there will be a county fair somewhere around the region pretty much each week through Labor Day.
The fairs have a long history -- some of them have been going on for 175 years (or more).
Here's a rundown of county fairs around the region, with dates, admission info, and whatnot.
Commence eating foods on a stick...
Saratoga County Fair
When: July 19-24
Where: Saratoga County Fairgrounds in Ballston Spa.
How much: $12. Season ticket is $40. Shorter than 52 inches is free. Active military free with ID card. Unlimited ride wristband is $20.
This is the 175th year for the Saratoga County Fair. (Though there was an earlier version -- "basically a one day cattle show" -- that ran from 1819-1824.)
Schoharie County Sunshine Fair
When: July 30-August 6
Where: Cobleskill
How much: $15 for adults, $10 for seniors (age 62 and up), free for children 2 and under. Tickets includes fair admission, grandstand and grounds shows, and unlimited rides from noon to closing. Eight-day passes are $45. (corrected)
This is the 140th Schoharie County Sunshine Fair.
Altamont Fair
When: August 16-21
Where: Altamont Fairgrounds in Altamont
How much: Tuesday and Wednesday - $15. Thursday thru Sunday - $17. The one-price admission includes "admission, parking, music, circus and unlimited rides shows." Kids under 36-inches tall are free -- but they're not allowed to ride the Midway rides. If you buy tickets ahead of time online for $15 each, they're good for any of the fair days (which could save you $2 Thursday-Sunday).
The Altamont Fair is the county fair for Albany, Schenectady, and Greene counties. This will be its 123rd year.
Washington County Fair
When: August 22-28
Where: Washington County Fairgrounds in Greenwich
How much: Adults $10 ($9 before August 1). Children 13 and under are free. All-week pass is $30 ($27 before August 1). Free admission for all active military service members with military ID.
Admission does not include carnival rides. During the fair, ride tickets are $1.25 each. But if you buy before August 21 at 6 pm, you can get 20 ride tickets for $10. "Each carnival ride takes 2 to 5 tickets - 1 less per ride on Children's Day." Also: On Tuesday and Sunday, you can ride all rides from noon-close for $20.
"New York's #1 Agricultural County Fair."
Fonda Fair
When: August 30-September 5
Where: Montgomery County Fairgrounds in Fonda
How much: $10 Adults, seniors (62+) are $5 on Wednesday and Friday, kids 6-11 years old $2, kids under 6 are free. Parking $2.
This is the 175th year for the Fonda Fair -- it's the agricultural fair for Fulton and Montgomery counties.
Columbia County Fair
When: August 31-September 5
Where: The Columbia County Fairgrounds are in Chatham
How much: Adults $10 (Sunday is $15). It's $8 every day if purchased by August 20 via mail, or at advance ticket outlets (including Price Chopper and Hannaford) between August 1 and September 1. Kids 12 and under free. Free admission for active military members with military ID or uniform.
This is the 176th Columbia County Fair.
Schaghticoke Fair
When: August 31-September 5
Where: Schaghticoke Fairgrounds in Schaghticoke
How much: Adults $11 (opening day is $5). Season pass is $40. Children 13 and under are free. Unlimited rides pass is $21 Wednesday-Friday, $22 Saturday-Monday. Advance admission tickets are available at Price Chopper August 7 through 30 -- they're $9 (Thursday-Monday) and unlimited rides tickets are $18 (good for any one day, does not include admission).
The Schaghticoke Fair is the county fair for Rensselaer County. This is the 197th year for Schaghticoke Fair -- it's said to be the 3rd oldest fair of its type in New York State.
(Bonus bit: The Jefferson County Fair (Watertown), first organized in 1817, is said to be the oldest county fair in the state.)
A bit farther afield...
Dutchess County Fair
When: August 23-28
Where: The Dutchess County Fairgrounds are in Rhinebeck (just south of the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge on US 9)
How much: Adults $15 ($10 on Tuesday). Kids under 12 are free. Seniors (65+) and military with ID are $10. Special promotion rates include $7 admission after 5 pm on Tuesday only, $25 wristbands on Wednesday. Ride tickets are 4 for $5 and 22 for $20.
The Dutchess County Fair is a bit outside the Capital Region -- it's a little more than a hour's drive south. But we hear it's quite the county fair, and worth the trip if you're a county fair aficionado.
____
Compiled for 2016 by Aaron Krein.
Hi there. Comments have been closed for this item. Still have something to say? Contact us.
Comments
Thanks for this. I was literally googling "All Over Albany fair schedule 2016" yesterday thinking I had missed it.
... said Ryan H on Jul 18, 2016 at 1:22 PM | link
"It's the most wonderful tiiiiime of the yyeeeeaaaarrrrr" :)
... said ajw93 on Jul 18, 2016 at 2:37 PM | link
County fairs = fried dough, cotton candy, corn dogs on a stick, creaky carnival rides, general gluttony, and exhaustion from walking on your feet all day. Can't wait!!
... said Bonnie on Jul 18, 2016 at 3:58 PM | link
The Altamont fair has giraffes you can pet and feed!!!
... said Jamie on Jul 19, 2016 at 9:23 AM | link
The Dutchess County Fair is definitely worth the drive. I may be a little biased because it's my hometown area, but I have yet to go to another fair that rivals it!
... said Ashleigh on Jul 20, 2016 at 10:11 AM | link