Sussex County Fairgrounds

Inside the Sussex County Fairgrounds

Late July, and the smell of funnel cake drifts over Plains Road while a Ferris wheel turns above the tree line. The Sussex County Fairgrounds sits on more than 150 acres in Augusta, a farm-country stretch of Frankford Township between Newton and Branchville. More than two dozen permanent buildings cover the grounds, from livestock barns to a glass conservatory and the 10,000-square-foot Walter Richards building. For most of Sussex County, this is where summer peaks, though the fairgrounds stay busy long after the last carnival ride packs up. Every corner of the county seems to know someone showing a steer or working a food stand here.

The New Jersey State Fair Every Summer

Since 1999 the property has held the official title of New Jersey State Fair, but the roots run deeper: the Sussex County Farm and Horse Show started in Branchville in 1936 and moved to these Augusta grounds in 1976. In 2026 the fair marks 90 years of the horse show and 50 years at 37 Plains Road, running July 31 through August 8. It draws roughly a quarter of a million people over nine days, which makes it New Jersey’s largest agricultural fair. Admission stays modest and parking is free, part of why generations of local families treat the week as a summer tradition.

Rides, Fair Food, and the Barns

The midway brings the classics: bumper cars, towering Ferris wheels, and a fried-everything food row. Past the rides sit the real heart of the place, the 4-H and livestock barns, flower and vegetable competitions, a petting zoo, and a chainsaw artist working through a log. It rewards a slow walk.

Arena Nights

The grandstand runs its own schedule of ticketed events: bull riding, a demolition derby, monster trucks, and tractor pulls that you feel in your chest. These sell separately from gate admission, so check the schedule before you go.

More Than the Fair

Rock, Ribs and Ridges brings southern rock and competition barbecue in late June. The Sussex County Harvest, Honey and Garlic Festival closes the season in mid-October with a farmers market, local wine and craft demonstrations. In between, the rings host horse shows, the grounds run a farmers market, and the halls fill with tricky trays, 5Ks and bridal expos. The Conservatory, the glass event hall on the property, handles more than a hundred weddings a year plus corporate meetings and fundraisers, and it has its own writeup here: The Conservatory. Indoor and outdoor space rents year round, which is worth knowing if you’re planning anything bigger than a backyard holds.