September in our state means saying hello to fair season, including the Haddam Neck Fair.
"This is a true country fair," said Shirley Cooney, of Manchester. "One of the few that still has a lot of agriculture along with all the good food and displays."
This decades-long tradition kicked off on Friday and runs through Labor Day.
"We come every year. We definitely come for the apple cider donuts. That's like our first stop," said Ashley Raithel, of East Haddam.
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Jackie Macknight, one of many directors at the fair, says there is always so much to see and do with all the rides, food, live music and animals.
"You know, it's a small-town fair. It's pretty flat, it's walkable, and it's just that community feeling that I think is just super strong at our fair," said Macknight.
The fair held its 39th annual 5K road race on Sunday. Organizers say a record number of people signed up for this year. Nearly 300 people, including kids and adults hit the pavement.
Melanie Colek, of East Haddam, was one of them.
"We have so many runners. I was shocked when I pulled up to see how many people came out to support our local fair," said Colek.
It's also a place to make core memories. Two women from opposite ends of the state say they met at the fair years ago and became close friends.
"We just started talking. We exchanged phone numbers, and now we've just been coming to the same spot for years," said Karen Ford, of East Haddam.
"Enjoy the fairs, enjoy the people," said Cooney.
The fair is open from 7:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Sunday and from 7:30 a.m.to 5 p.m. on Monday. General admission tickets are $15. Kids under the age of 12 get in for free.
If you want to get on some rides, that will cost extra. Each ride ticket is a dollar. Kiddie rides are 5 tickets and adult rides are 6. You can do an all-day ride bracelet for $35.
Organizers say to be careful if you're using a GPS to get to the fairgrounds. They say make sure you use the East Hampton zip code. If you use Haddam’s zip code, it will take you across the river, 20 miles away from the fair.
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