View of the Fair from the Bleachers
The Kingston Fall Fair hit #YGK over the weekend of September 12th-September 15th. The fair seems to be one of those odd events where a lot of people do attend it, while many plan on attending it each year but never do.
To be honest that is probably for the best! The fair often gets packed and if more people attended it would be unbearable.
I’ve had some people ask me for my review of the event and so thought I would do a quick blog post providing a review of the fair.
Unfortunately I didn’t think about doing this while at the fair. So the pictures I took were ore the casual pictures one takes at an event like this, as opposed to when you go there with the purposes of doing a review.
I also didn’t check out too many events there other than the rides themselves. So I’ll cover what I did experience, answer questions people have asked me and then next year I’ll make sure to do a more thorough review.
Lineups / Was It Busy?
I was at the fair twice. I went on Saturday, September 14th from 11am until 10pm and then again on Sunday from 9am until 3pm.
I was there with my two kids aged 12 and 16. They also had friends with them.
The one area they really need to improve upon is distributing tickets. There are a couple of booths set up where you can purchase tickets or an all day pass. The lines for these were brutal at all times of the day. I’d estimate at least a 20 minute wait in line which is really unacceptable when it’s mostly young kids.
During the day Saturday was great. We could get onto most rides almost instantly. Food lineups for different booths weren’t bad at all. I stood in line at 5 different places for food and drink and didn’t have to wait more than a couple of minutes.
Saturday night was very busy but that was to be expected. If you aren’t a fan of crowds avoid Saturday. Sunday wasn’t too bad at all.
If you waited in line for a ride, you’d have to wait at the most 2 turns of the ride before you could go on.
That was impressive considering it was expected to rain later plus it was the last day.
Any Issues with Staff?
None really. The staff members who attempt to get you to play the carnival games really weren’t as in your face as they previous were which was nice. Most of them were friendly too. I did have one issue with the staff member at the rope ladder. He didn’t explain the rules then waited until my daughter was right at the top before telling her she can’t lay on her stomach. And one staff member at the slushie booth struggled in regard to giving change or giving the correct change. However that was it. Overall no problems with the staff. They seemed friendly and approachable.
How Were The Rides?
Excellent. I can’t remember if the Zipper was there last year or the year before but I don’t think it was. Either way that was a welcome return as I hadn’t been on it in years.
Had no concerns in regard to safety or anything like that on the rides. Even with the long days, the employees were always doing their jobs and checking everyone was strapped in etc.
Hopefully the slides make a return soon. Miss those! My favourite rides were the Zipper, Alien Abduction and Fireball.
In saying that – man I am old(late 30s). I was seriously hurting Sunday morning and if I didn’t have kids I’d be taking the day off. So if you’re like me in that regard, maybe plan a relaxing day after you go.
What Else Was There?
There was a lot of events taking place. Country Singing Showdown, Agricultural Displays, Motocross Thrill Show, Lane Tractor Races etc. I unfortunately didnt pay too much attention to them as I was more focused on the rides.
I did take a walk around the entire Memorial Centrea however. There was booths set up such as Improbable Escapes. You could see all the prize winners in the various contests and buy various local arts and crafts.
There was of course all the carnival games. However if I was looking to gamble, I’d head on over to Casino Bonuses Now and gamble on the houses money ha. They were also very expensive from what I saw. The rope ladder game was $10 for 3 attempts. Although I don’t blame them as most of these games can be beaten if you take a few minutes reading the internet.
My favourite event was a metal bar like a pull up bar where people simply had to hang for 2 minutes. I got a lot of amusement out of
people stepping up confident and then dropping down after just 30 seconds.
How was Security?
They had staff at the front gate where you had to purchase admission to get in. I had a backpack with me and they didn’t check it.
Personally I am happy with that – I’m a bit tired of how over cautious everyone is these days however you may feel differently – especially in light of the stabbing incident that occured in Kingston just a couple of days prior.
It could be selective screening too though – maybe they don’t screen a late thiirtysomething man with his young daughter but they do screen teenagers etc.
I did feel security was lacking somewhat on Saturday night. That’s when things get a bit rowdier and there was obviously some underage
drinking going on. Plus people of legal age who had snuck some booze in and were obviously slightly inebriated. I personally had no issues but I did hear from a couple of people who said they never go at night anymore due to that.
If that type of thing concerns you, or you’re going with young kids, I wouldn’t advise going on the Friday or Saturday night.
How was the Food?
Delicious. I had the usual carnival fair – funnel cake, deep fried oreos etc. There was a solid selection.
Interestingly the best selection wasn’t at the Fair area itself but in the parking lot at the West end of the Fair.
There was a lot going on over there and various other food options such as fish and chips. There was also a local vendor and unfortunately I didn’t get their name however they were doing a lot of great items. They were all very friendly too. I had a tremendous BLT from there:
I filled up on funnel cake Sunday which was a shame as I really wanted to try their jalapeno sausages.
Any Tips or Tricks?
They don’t seem to advertise it too well but go to the Memorial Centre in the weeks prior to the fair and get yourself an all day pass.
First of all an all day pass is crucial here as the individual ticket prices are brutal. Second you save money if you get it. It’s $30 as opposed to I believe $38 at the fair. Well worth having.
Overall Summary:
As a parent, the Fall Fair was a lot of fun. There wasn’t too many lineups for the most part and my kids had a blast. They were always
busy and never bored.
If I was an adult attending with fellow adult friends – I certainly wouldn’t stay as long. I’d still purchase an all day pass however as
it’s well worth it. Probably spend 1-2 hours on rides then go eat and be done for the day. Rides just aren’t as fun when you are an adult!
However there’s a lot to see and do there and I am impressed with how the fair seems to grow and get larger every year.
It will continue to be one of my favourite events of the year – at least until the kids grow up! Hopefully next year I’ll have my review
shoes on and be able to provide a more in-depth look at everything going on!
