The last time we went to the Burlington County Farm Fair was in 2019. It was our first time going and it made a huge impression on us. At the time, my oldest son had just turned 6 and my youngest was 11 months old (still in the stroller so no rides for him). This year our boys were 9 & 3. We attended opening night and this is what we gathered.
10 TIPS FOR PARENTS IF YOU'RE GOING TO THE BURLINGTON COUNTY FARM FAIR
BRING A JOGGING STROLLER
If you have a child that needs a stroller or who can still sit in a stroller, bring a jogging stroller - if you have one. The ride area is settled on relatively high grass so navigating that area without a big wheel stroller was a little trickier. I looked back onto our photos from our visit in 2019 and we brought our jogging stroller with us then. This time, we brought our upgraded umbrella stroller. Take it from me, if you own a jogging stroller, bring it. If you don't own a jogging stroller I still would suggest bringing your stroller anyway because strollers also act as a way to carry things you may have to carry in a backpack otherwise.
BRING COLD WATER
Its July which means it's hot. Hydration is necessary. They allow you to bring in water and snacks so if you want to bring a packed lunch - go for it! We opted to put ice into those metal water-bottles and fill them up before leaving. I'm happy we did because that cut down on the cost for having to buy lemonade from the concession stands and it kept the kids hydrated.
SPRAY SANITIZER/SANITIZING WIPES
There are loads of people touching the handle bars on the rides. If COVID is still your concern, you will want to keep sanitizing wipes on you while at the fair. I keep a small spray bottle of hand sanitizer in my purse and one in my stroller at all times so I had the boys sanitizer their hands in-between rides. They did have ports potties there with a small area to wash your hands so if you wanted to wash your hands ever so often.
BRING BOTH CASH & DEBIT CARD
There was a mixture between cash only and debit card accepting places. I am breaking them down below so it's easier to read.
- PARKING - When arriving at the Farm Fair, there is a $10 Donation fee to park directly across from the fair entrance. If you plan to come multiple days, there is a $25 donation to park - be sure to see the parking attendant and tell them you need the multi-pass before parking. This is cash only.
- FOOD: There was a mix between some places taking card and some only accepting cash. Be prepared to have both depending on vendor.
- GAMES: The games only accept cash
- VENDORS: Some vendors were cash only and some took cards.
- RIDES: This year, the fair went Digital. No longer are the days of handing tickets to the ride attendants. The ticket booth (which did not look like your traditional ticket booth) accepts both cash & card. If paying cash, the booth does not have the ability to disperse change. So make sure you have exact change if paying cash.
RIDES, RIDES, RIDES
The Farm Fair has a great assortment of rides from big rides to little kiddie rides. One question I get asked all the time is if there are rides for toddlers. Yes! There were plenty of rides that my 3 year old was able to do by himself.
There are a few things pertaining to the rides I'd like to discuss.
- DIGITAL TICKETING: Instead of handing tickets over to the ride attendants, you will buy either a wristbands (unlimited rides all night) or buy credits. Each ride accepts a certain amount of credits. 1 credit = .25¢. The credits could be disbursed onto a Magic Money card (that will dispense right there at the booth) OR you can download a Magic Money app to your phone (Download the app Via: Google Play or Apple). With either the card or app, the attendant will scan and credits will be deducted accordingly for each ride. If you do the app, get your credits before you arrive so you can save yourself from having to stand in line at the ticket booth loading credits onto your phone.
- WRISTBANDS: This year you can buy wristbands! Wristbands are unlimited rides for the entire night. Wristbands cannot be used for multiple days. Wristbands specials are good for the entire duration of the fair.
COST:
- Between 4PM - 6PM - $30/ea
- Between 6PM - 10PM - $35/ea
- There was a $2 fee charged for our wristbands (total $37/ea).
- PARENTS NEEDING TICKETS: This is where it wasn't entirely clear. Some attendants allowed parents to chaperone a child on the ride if needed while others asked for you to scan credits/have a wristband. It doesn't make much sense to me for a parent to buy their own wristband for unlimited rides if they are only going to be chaperoning on rides their child cannot do on their own. My advice, be prepared to have to buy some individual credits to ride with your child. However, ask prior to going onto the ride. There were only 2 incidents where I saw the attendant ask a parent to scan for themselves to accompany a child on a ride because they were too little to do it themselves. While we were there, they never asked us to scan to chaperone on a ride. However, I also had my 9 year old go on many of the rides with his younger brother so if you have an older sibling, utilize them for chaperone situations (if they are able to).
- RIDES & THEIR COST: As I mentioned above, each ride requires a certain amount of credits in order to ride them. If you anticipate only riding a few rides, you might be able to save money by only purchasing the credits needed to ride the rides you want. However, the wristband seems the most cost effective option In my opinion.
- RIDES AND HOW MANY CREDITS EACH TAKE:
- 1 credit = 25¢ (ea: 14 credits is equivalent to $3.5 to ride)
- MAJOR RIDES/BIG KID RIDES:
- Alien: 23 credits
- Ferris Wheel: 17 credits
- Cliff Hanger: 19 credits
- Himalaya: 23 credits
- Hustler: 20 credits
- Rockstar: 23 credits
- Round Up: 20 credits
- Sizzler: 19 credits
- Super Shot: 20 credits
- Swing: 17 credits
- Zipper: 23 credits
- KIDDIE RIDES - some rides required a chaperone dependent on the height of the rider
- Bees: 14 credits
- Carousel: 13 credits
- Crazy Bus: 14 credits
- Cuckoo Haus: 14 credits
- Dizzy Dragon: 13 credits
- Fire House: 12 credits
- Happy Swing: 14 credits
- Monkey Maze: 14 credits
- Orient Express: 14 credits
- Raiders: 14 credits
- Slide: 14 Credits
- Surf City: 14 credits
- MAJOR RIDES/BIG KID RIDES:
SUN PROTECTION
Like many outdoor summer events, sunscreen is suggested. The Farm Fair has very limited shaded areas, aside from the vendor tents. If you go during the light hours, please bring sunscreen and a hat to protect your head from the sun.
DO THE RIDES LAST
When you arrive, check out the vendors and the activities you can do at the farm fair first before heading back to the ride area. If you stay till closing, the vendors will close before the rides do. So if you planned to visit a vendor before you left, chances are they may be packed up by the time you're walking towards the exit to leave.
CHECK THE EVENTS SCHEDULE BEFORE YOU LEAVE
The Farm Fair is not only rides and vendors. There are TONS of events happening each day that you can check out and enjoy. Some of those events are Kids Scarecrow Building Contest, Tractor Pulls, Pig Racing (this is actually really fun to watch! GET THERE EARLY. It gets crowded QUICK.), Pet Shows, Miss Farm Fair Queen Contest, etc. There are TONS of fun events happening during the Farm Fair. Check out their schedule and decide what day you want to go. Plan your day accordingly around the things you want to see and make sure you arrive a little earlier. Things like the Pig Racing gets crowded quickly.
EAT BEFORE YOU GO
I love fair food, funnel cakes & fried Oreos as much as the next person does but don't go there on an empty stomach. Like many fairs/festivals, prices for food & drinks are inflated. Save yourself some money and eat prior to going. If you're staying the day, bring a packed lunch. There were some seating areas. Enjoy the day but don't bankrupt yourself on food & drinks.
HAVE FUN!!
Last but probably the most important - HAVE FUN! The Burlington County Farm Fair is celebrating its 75th year this season and that means 75 years of memories for people coming to the farm fair. 2019 was our 1st year attending and I plan to keep coming as long as I can!
GETTING HERE:
The Burlington County Farm Fair
July 19 - July 23
4PM - 11PM daily
1990 Jacksonville-Jobstown Road
Springfield Township NJ 08022
Do you agree with our tips? What would you have added? Let us know!
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