SALEM, Va. – America’s largest free gate fair opens on Wednesday, June 28. You and your family can enjoy all the rides, food and games starting at 4 p.m.
This is the 35th year for the fair, and they are celebrating with more than 40 rides, 30 food vendors and shows.
Some of the rides include the apple worm, circus train, giant wheel, magic maze and the zipper. New this year is a different Ferris Wheel called the grand wheel.
Heidi Deggeller, Chief Administrative Officer for Deggler’s Rides, says “It is a mix between a large giant wheel, which we have, and a small kiddy wheel. It is medium and good for families for children of all ages to get that Ferris Wheel adventure without being too afraid of the big giant wheel.”
Each show at the fair is completely free. You can see Roberto the Magnificent, Aussie Kingdom Animal Adventure and Hilby the German Juggling Boy.
The fair usually brings in around 250,000 to 350,00 people each year.
Carey Harveycutter, Director of Tourism for Salem, says “We draw from Central and Southwest Virginia. This year we actually got a grant from Virginia Tourism to broaden our reach into the Richmond market and further Southwest Virginia. It is a free event. That is the big draw, but the best thing is, it is summertime fun.”
With the fair, comes plenty of promotional nights and ways to save money on rides. For opening night, you can save money on ride wristbands if you purchase them before 6 p.m.
Thursday, June 29, is WSLS night at the fair. If you bring two new pairs of socks, you can save money on rides and a number of team members will be there. Ride wristbands allow you to enjoy more than 40 different rides at the fair.
One of the most popular things at the fair is the food. There are bacon burgers, corn dogs, crab rolls, empanadas, pizza, friend Oreos, funnel cake and so much more.
A big concern for many attending the fair is safety and security. New this year is the clear bag policy. This means you can not bring a purse or bag of any kind unless it is see-through. This follows along with the same rules at the Salem Civic Center and the Berglund Center. Also, all kids under 17 must be accompanied by an adult age 25 or older.
The Salem Fair runs from June 28 to July 9.