Sandwich Fair facts for kids
The Sandwich Fair is a super fun event that happens every year in Sandwich, New Hampshire. It takes place during the Columbus Day weekend. Imagine a big party with rides, animals, and parades! The fair's main area, called the midway, is open for three days, plus a special preview night on the Friday before. Get ready for two cool parades: one with old cars on Saturday and a big "Grand Street Parade" on Sunday. You might even see marching bands from local schools like Inter-Lakes High School and Moultonborough Academy!
Contents
A Look Back: Fair History
The Sandwich Fair started a long time ago, on October 10, 1909. It began as a fair organized by the Grange, a group for farmers and their families.
In 2010, the fair celebrated its 100th birthday! About 35,000 people came to join the party that year. Back in 1921, only about 5,000 people attended, and some sports events were canceled because of rain.
The fair became a three-day event for the first time in 1988. Now, it's always held annually on Columbus Day Weekend. The fair takes place on its own special grounds. These grounds are near the Samuel Wentworth Library and the tennis courts. The Sandwich Fair Association manages the fair and owns the fairgrounds. A company called Gillette Shows helps run all the exciting midway rides and games.
The fair did not happen in 1917–18, 1942–44, or 2020.
What Happens at the Fair?
The Sandwich Fair is packed with fun activities for everyone. Each day has something special to offer!
Friday Fun: Midway Preview
For several years, Friday night has been a special preview for the midway. You can buy a bracelet and ride all the rides as many times as you want! This special ride time is from 4 PM until 9 PM. The best part is that admission to the fairgrounds is free on Friday night. Just remember, the exhibit halls are closed during this preview.
Saturday: Kids' Day
Saturday is known as "kids" day! There's another special ride bracelet you can buy. With this bracelet, you can ride all the rides from 9 AM to 2 PM as much as you like. All the exhibit halls open at 9 AM, so you can explore cool displays. Animal shows also start on Saturday, which are always fun to watch!
Sunday: Parades and Animals
Sunday is a very exciting day! The "Grand Street Parade" is a major highlight. It's a big parade that many people love to watch. You can also see lots of open animal shows throughout the day. Horse and oxen pulling contests are always very popular and draw a big crowd. An original Abbot-Downing Company Concord coach always leads the annual parade.
Monday: Senior Day and 4-H
Monday is "Senior" day at the fair. The rides are still going strong, so you can enjoy them one last time. This is also the perfect day to see all the "4-H" animal shows. These shows feature young people showing off their animals and projects. Seniors, who are at least 65 years old, get a special discount on their admission price that day.
