New Hampshire’s fairs and festivals draw hundreds of thousands of visitors each summer.(Kitreel/Shutterstock)
For over 300 years, New Hampshire has been home to summer fairs. Here’s a guide to this year’s celebration of local culture, agriculture, and pure outdoor fun.
Summertime is all about fairs and festivals in New Hampshire. We have dozens of them.
There are food and drink festivals where visitors can sample and savor the offerings from local purveyors as well as craft fairs that allow lovers of all things local and beautiful to look, touch, and purchase handmade crafts, meet the makers, and learn how they create these objets d’art.
In New Hampshire, you can explore all things otherworldly at a UFO festival, try your hand at competitive stone lifting at Scottish Highland games, and get up close and personal with cattle, corn, and canned peaches at 10 agricultural fairs taking place this summer. Ag fairs have a long history in the state. The first one held in America is said to have taken place in Nutfield (now Londonderry), New Hampshire, in 1722, and is the great, great-grandmother of most summer fairs and festivals that are an integral part of a Granite State summer.
Agricultural fairs
North Haverhill Fair
Date: July 23 – 27
Location: 1299 Dartmouth College Highway, Haverhill
Admission: $15, general admission. Children (5 –12), $3. Children under 5 are free.
Highlight: Performances by Cirque Cyber
Cheshire Fair
Date: July 31 – August 3
Location: Cheshire Fairgrounds, 247 Monadnock Highway, Swanzey
Admission: General admission, $15. Children (5 –11) and seniors, $5. Children (4 and under) and veterans are free.
Highlight: Draft horse pulls
Belknap County Fair
Date: August 2 and 3
Location: Belknap County Fairgrounds, 174 Mile Hill Road, Belmont
Admission: Adults, $10. Children (under 10), free. Seniors, first responders, and military $5.
Highlight: Open ox pulling
The Cornish Fair
Date: August 15 – 17
Location: 294 Town House Rd., Cornish
Highlight: The largest dairy show in New Hampshire.
Admission: Adult, $15. Children (12 and under) are free. Ride bracelets, $30 for a four-hour session.
Lancaster Fair
Date: August 28 – September 1
Location: 516 Main St.. Lancaster
Admission: General admission including rides, $25. Children 26 inches or under are free with an adult.
Highlight: Demolition Derby
Hopkinton State Fair
Date: August 28 – September 1
Location: Hopkinton Fairgrounds, 392 Kearsarge Avenue, Hopkinton
Admission: General admission, $14. Seniors ($60 plus), $12. Youth (ages 3-12), $8. Children (35 months and under) are free.
Highlight: The 4-H dog show
Hillsborough County Agricultural Fair
Date: September 5 – 7
Location: New Boston 4-H Youth Center, 17 Hilldale Lane, New Boston
Admission: General admission (cash only), adults, $10. Children, $5. Military and seniors, $5.
Highlight: The Great Pumpkin Weigh Off
Granite State Fair
Dates: September 11 – 14 and September 18 – 21
Location: 72 Lafayette St., Rochester
Admission: General admission, $12. Children (8 and under) are free.
Highlight: School Bus Derby
Deerfield Fair
Date: September 25 – 28.
Location: Deerfield Fairgrounds, 34 Stage Road, Deerfield
Admission: Adults, $12. Children 12 and under and military personnel are free. Seniors (65 and older), Thursday and Friday, $9.
Highlight: The Miss Deerfield Fair Pagent
The Sandwich Fair
Date: October 10 – 11
Location: 7 Wentworth Hill Road, Sandwich
Admission: Adults, $13. Children (12 and under) are free.
Highlight: Skillet Toss
Craft fairs
2025 Gilford 4th of July Weekend Craft Fair
Date: July 5 and 6
Location: Gunstock Mountain Resort, 719 Cherry Valley Road, Gilford
Cost: Free
Highlight: Crafts from over 120 exhibitors
League of NH Craftsmen Fair
Date: August 2 – 10
Location: Mount Sunapee Resort, Newbury
Admission: General admission, $20 ($18 online). Youth (16 and under) are free.
Highlight: A sculpture garden of handcrafted sculpture and pottery, all for sale
Meredith Fine Arts and Crafts Festival
Date: August 23 and 24
Location: Main Street and Mill Falls, Marketplace, Meredith
Admission: Free
Highlight: Live demonstrations by local artists and artisans
Labor Day Weekend Gunstock Craft Fair
Date: August 31
Location: Gunstock Mountain Resort, 719 Cherry Valley Road, Gilford
Admission: Free
Highlight: Wildlife surveillance birdhouse camera exhibit
Food and beverage festivals
Milford Food Truck Fest
Date: August 2 and 3
Location: The Hampshire Dome, 34 Emerson Road, Milford
Admission: $8 or two for $15. Ages 14 and under are free.
Highlight: Whoopie pie eating contest
Gate City Brewfest & Wing Competition
Date: August 23
Location: Holman Stadium, 67 Amherst St., Nashua
Admission: General admission, $40 in advance, $50 at the door. Tickets include activities and beer tastings. Designated drivers under 21, $15.
Highlight: Live music by Sippin’ Whiskey, Slack Tide, Bradley Copper Kettle and Friends
Vintage & Vine Wine and Food Festival
Date: September 4
Location: Strawbery Banke Museum in Portsmouth
Admission: General, $95, includes wine sampling, appetizers, and a commemorative wine glass. General Admission (no alcohol), $40
Highlight: Curated wine pays homage to maritime history.
Hampton Beach Seafood Festival
Date: September 5 – 7
Location: Hampton Beach, 180 Ocean Boulevard, Hampton
Admission: $12 to $15
Highlight: Lobster roll eating competition
Manchester Brewfest
Date: September 13
Location: Arms Park, Commercial St., Manchester
Cost: General ticket, $50. Designated driver, $20. VIP ticket, $60
Highlight: Live music
Annual Claremont Brewfest
Date: September 20
Location: Claremont Visitor Center, 14 North St., Claremont
Cost: TBD
Highlight: Thirty-plus exhibitors
Admission-free summer fairs and events
Hillsborough Summer Festival
Date: July 10 – 13
Location: Grimes Field, Henniker Street, Hillsborough
Admission: Free
Highlight: Fireworks show
Piscataqua Riverfest
Date: Saturday, July 12
Location: Strawbery Banke Museum, 14 Hancock St., Portsmouth
Admission: Free
Highlight: Traditional wooden-boat show
35th Annual American Independence Festival
Date: Saturday, July 12
Location: American Independence Museum, 1 Governor’s Lane, Exeter
Admission: Free
Highlight: View an original copy and reading of the “Declaration of Independence,” which was brought to the town in 1776.
67th Annual Canterbury Fair
Date: Saturday, July 26
Location: Baptist Road, Canterbury
Admission: Free
Highlight: A performance by the Checkerberry Morris Dancers
Jericho ATV Weekend
Date: August 1 and 2
Location: Jericho Mountain State Park, 298 Jericho Lake Rd., Berlin
Admission: Free. Saturday night concert is a ticketed event.
Highlight: Blessing of the ATVs
43rd Annual Suncook Valley Hot Air Balloon Rally
Date: August 1 – 3
Location: Drake Field, 7 Barnstead Rd., Pittsfield
Admission: Free
Highlight: Night Glow illuminated tethered balloons
17th Annual Hampton Beach Children’s Festival
Date: Monday, August 11 – 15
Location: Hampton Beach, Ocean Boulevard in Hampton
Admission: Free
Highlight: Magic show by BJ Hickman
North Country Moose Festival
Date: August 22 and 23
Location: Downtown Colebrook
Admission: Free on Friday. Saturday $5, children under 12, free.
Highlight: Moose calling contest
Exeter UFO Festival
Date: August 30 and 31
Location: Swasey Parkway, Exeter
Admission: Outdoor activities are free. The main Town Hall lecture series is $35 for two days.
Highlight: Alien costume contest
Miscellaneous
68th Annual NH Antiques Show
Date: August 7 – 9
Location: DoubleTree by Hilton, 700 Elm St., Manchester
Admission: $15, on August 7. $10 on Saturday.
Highlight: More than 60 professional exhibitors
White Mountain Boogie N’ Blues Festival
Date: August 15 – 17
Location: Sugar Shack Campground, Thornton
Admission: Special general admission weekend ticket, $160
Highlight: Performances in a natural amphitheater on 72 acres
New Hampshire Highland Games
Date: September 19 – 21
Location: Loon Mountain, Lincoln
Admission: Adults, single day $42 to $71. Children (6-14) $5. Children (5 and under) are free.
Highlight: Attempt to break the Guinness World Record for most bagpipers in a single performance.
This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
Related: Meet the family powering NH’s craft fair scene
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