Often considered the longest-running fair in the nation, the Brooklyn Fair is not only full of history but is a whole lot of fun. From rides to animals to fair food, this is a perfect-sized agricultural extravaganza for the whole family. Let’s take a trip to scenic Brooklyn, Connecticut, for this backyard road trip.
The Brooklyn Fair harkens back to 1809 and has only been skipped due to national events such as World War I, World War II, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Only three years out of 214 not hosting the fair is a pretty amazing feat. Past entertainers include big (mostly) country music acts such as Luke Bryan, Lady A, and Joe Diffie. On a more personal note, I hadn’t been to the Brooklyn Fair for many ‘a year, possibly once with my wife, and pre-kids, but it could be all the way back to high school.
Our Brooklyn Fair Adventure
Since Disney, any mention of “rides” makes my oldest son’s ears perk way up. Last year, our fair season was satisfied with a visit to the Marshfield Fair, one of the oldest on the South Shore of Massachusetts. This fair drew the kids’ attention to some pretty high-flying rides. I figured the Brooklyn Fair might be a better draw for the whole family as the rides were proportional to the other fairground attractions.
What to do at the fair
My Brooklyn Fair to-do list included a warm slab of fried dough, a bloomin’ onion, and seeing the animals. Those were all checked off easily at the Brooklyn Fair. Add two Del’s Lemonades into the itinerary and I was thoroughly enjoying myself.
The kids took to the rides with trips on kiddie rides mostly. Danny (my oldest) and I went on the Scrambler which was always a favorite of mine as a kid. This Scrambler was fast and certainly threw us around a bit in our seats. This satisfied his “thrill ride” quota which was just fine with me.
Animals and Other Agricultural Sites
One of the highlights was Robinson’s Racing Pigs. Here pigs are let out from the starting gates like greyhounds racing in a small track. Some even dive into the pool of water set up. It’s a fun experience with the audience cheering for their favorite porker. Another fair game was the ladies’ skillet toss. Before today I had not heard of racing pigs or tossing skillets but was witness to both.
We also watched the dog show for a while before entering the animal barns. Sheep, pigs, rabbits, and cows highlighted the barnyard animal displays. After a trip to the Better Living Building, full of mostly local vendors, I realized we missed the vegetable displays but alas not everything in the fair could be seen. The entertainment that evening was a Def Leppard tribute band which we decided to skip as well.
Altogether, the Brooklyn Fair was a seasonal hit for my family of five plus my mom and dad who came along for the adventure. At only about a 25-minute drive up scenic Route 169 in Eastern Connecticut from their house in Norwich, it was a perfect late summer evening out.
