In full disclosure, this is not a sponsored post.
One of my family’s favorite summer traditions is going to the New Jersey State Fair at the Sussex County Fairgrounds in Augusta. We start planning our visit at the beginning of the summer (and sometimes we even go back more than once). My kids love every aspect of the fair. There are so many animals to see and pet. They love all the animal shows.They have ridden on camels, fed giraffes, and watched pigs race. The Ronetco Shoprite kids area is full of fun activities. Kids can pretend to apple pick or shop in the store. There are mini tractors to ride around and pretend horses to ride. Then there are the carnival rides and lots of great fair food. But, a day at the fair can cost a lot of money! I know that my family is looking to cut back on our spending, so I’ve made a list of ways to save money at this year’s fair.
6 Ways to Save Money at the New Jersey State Fair
Buy your tickets in advance. You can save $3 a ticket by purchasing your tickets online in advance. Advance tickets must be purchased before 3:00 PM on July 30th. You can buy your tickets here.
Visit the fair during one of their discounted admission days or time.
- Early admission discounts are available on Monday, August 3rd through Thursday, August 6th before noon. Adults tickets are only $9 and kids (ages 6-12) are just $5.
- Tuesday, August 4th is Children’s Day. Admission for children (ages 6-12) is only $5 all day.
- Thursday, August 6th is Senior Day. Admission for seniors (ages 60+) is only $4 all day.
- August 9th is that last day of the fair and admission for adults is only $9. Children and senior citizens are free all day.
- Admission is discounted to $9 every night of the fair after 8:30.
Save money on the carnival rides by going on wristband days or purchasing a mega pass.
- Pay One Price ride bracelets cost $23 and are available on these days and times: Monday, August 3rd from 12:00 PM-closing. Tuesday, August 4th-Thursday, August 6th from 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM, and Sunday August 9th from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
- If you are purchasing your tickets online in advance you can purchase a “Mega Pass” ticket which includes unlimited carnival rides all day. The adult’s mega pass costs $28 and the child’s mega pass costs $25.
Save money by skipping the carnival rides all together. Last year we went to the fair twice. It would have cost too much money to pay for carnival rides twice. I told my kids before we left that we would not be going on any rides today. There were so many free activities to enjoy that they didn’t complain once about not going on rides. We spent over 3 hours at the fair and we didn’t even walk through the carnival section. There are several entrances to the fair and you can avoid the entire carnival area by entering through the gate farthest away from it.
Save money by bringing your own food. Coolers are not allowed into the fair but you can bring in backpacks. I always pack snacks and drinks in my backpack to avoid paying high prices for food. You can also visit before or after meal times to avoid needing to purchase an entire meal while you are there.
Follow the Sussex County Fairgrounds on Facebook and win free tickets to the fair. They are offering daily trivia questions and a variety of other contests each day. The prize for these contests are free fair tickets. With all of the opportunities you have a good chance of winning some free tickets. Check out their facebook page here.
This year’s fair will be held from July 31, 2015- August 9, 2015 from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm. August 9, 2015 the fair will be open from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.
The New Jersey State Fair is held at the Sussex County Fairgrounds which is located at 37 Plains Rd. in Augusta, NJ. For more information you can contact them at 973-948-5500 or check out their website.
In full disclosure, this is not a sponsored post.