Many people look forward to going to the fair each year. But is it worth it? You’re paying twelve dollars to get into the same exact thing you paid for the year before. However, thousands of people still go.

In 2021, the Deerfield Fair ran from September 30th until October 3rd. It is New England’s oldest family fair, with many traditional activities and attractions. Before going to the fair, guests are asked to evaluate their COVID symptoms. Guests are asked to follow safety guidelines to protect themselves by practicing social distancing and washing hands.

The food is a major reason why people go to the fair each year. There are many opportunities, from burgers to fried Oreos. Many people enjoy trying all of these food options, because they don’t have an opportunity to try these often.

Along with the food, there are many different types of shows at the fair. Some shows include:

• Excavator Rodeo Competition
• Cattle Pull
• Pig Scramble
• Blues Rock Music Show
• The Flying Wallendas
• Open Sheep Show
• Horse Show

The fair has plenty of rides, with many different ticket opportunities. The best deal is the unlimited rides wristband for $35. With this wristband, you can go on unlimited rides, for the whole entire day. However, because many people bought this wristband, the lines for the rides were super long, making them not worth the wait. Some of the lines took well over an hour, just to go on a carnival ride that lasts less than a minute. 

Although the Deerfield Fair has an immensely little selection of ride opportunities, the rides that they do offer range from the scrambler to roller coasters. I believe that there is not a very big variety of rides, making them unenjoyable. Most of the rides are spinning, which are not many people’s favorite. A greater variety of rides would most likely cause a greater number of guests to buy the rides wristband.

The Deerfield Fair offers many animals for spectators to see that can be hard to see elsewhere, such as cows, pigs, oxen, and horses. The animals are very interesting to see, but they are very spread out from each other, being all over the entire fairgrounds. Thus, making it hard to see all of them. 

While interviewing Taylor Holt, she explained her disappointment in the fair this year. She states “The fair was fun, but definitely not what I expected. The Topsfield Fair has much more to offer, with a greater variety of rides and activities. The animals are treated very poorly, and it made me very upset to see what these companies were doing to them. It seemed as though they didn’t care about the animals, which really ruined the whole experience for me”. 

Some may wonder about the precautions taken with COVID now. From what I saw, there were no differences at all. Masks were not required anywhere. There were a few signs that said “masks are highly recommended”, but they were very obviously not enforced. While walking around, in the big crowds, very few people were wearing a mask. If you’re someone who is worried about COVID, I would recommend staying away from the fair for now, and wait a few years until COVID is not as big.

The fair is very interesting, with limitless activities and food options. The Deerfield Fair is definitely worth it, considering it is only offered during one weekend a year. Although very repetitive year after year, there are still many activities to enjoy. However, if you are worried about COVID, I would not recommend going, because of the lack of precautions.