Visit
Schedule
Join Us August 16 - 20, 2023
| Indoor Hours | Outdoor Hours | |
| Wednesday, August 16 | N/A | 5 pm – 10:30 pm |
| Thursday, August 17 | N/A | 5 pm – 10:30 pm |
| Friday, August 18 | 4 pm – 10 pm | 2 pm – 10:30 pm |
| Saturday, August 19 – Sensory Friendly Hours | 10 am – 1 pm | 10 am – 1 pm |
| Saturday, August 19 | 10 am – 9 pm | 10 am – 10:30 pm |
| Sunday, August 20 – Sensory Friendly Hours | 11 am – 1 pm | 11 am – 1 pm |
| Sunday, August 20 | 11 am – 7 pm | 11 am – 10 pm |
Hours of Operation are subject to change.
The Arlington County Fair provides something for everyone including but not limited to carnival rides, live performances, shopping, and fair food.
The 2023 Arlington County Fair Program is now available here!
Click the link to view The Arlington County Fair Schedule of Events.
Getting Here / Transportation
Parking - NEW THIS YEAR
Public parking at the Fair is limited to patrons with valid ADA parking tags. There is NO public parking in the garage located on S Old Glebe Road. Patrons that attempt to park in the garage on TJ property will be towed.
Off-site parking is available at the Faith Lutheran Church (3313 Arlington Blvd – take the pedestrian bridge over Route 50 to get to the Fair) and the Bozman Government Building Garage (2100 Clarendon Blvd – take the FREE shuttle to get to the fair). Parking on nearby streets is restricted to neighborhood residents with temporary permits.
PLEASE NOTE: On Saturday, August 19, the lot at Faith Lutheran will not open to the public until after 2pm.
HOW TO GET TO THE FAIR
Shuttle - NEW THIS YEAR
The shuttle stop will be located on the corner of Clarendon Blvd. and N Veitch St. in front of the Bozman Government Center (2100 Clarendon Blvd, Arlington VA 22201). One block from the Courthouse Metro Stop (Orange/Silver Line).
Shuttles will operate a half hour before the Fair opens to a half hour after it closes, and continuously throughout between the Bozman Government Center garage and the fairgrounds.
Parking is free in the garage located beneath the Bozman Government Center on weekends and after 5:00 p.m. on weekdays .
Shuttles will be operated by ART Bus.
Rideshare / Drop-Off and Pick-Up Area
There is a designated area along Old South Glebe Road and the corner of Second Street for drop-off/pick-up only. Vehicles who idle in this location for more than two minutes will be asked to move.
Handicapped Accessibility
The grounds are accessible. ADA parking spaces are available with an ADA tag in the main parking lot off 2nd St (in front of the community center).
Public Transit
Below is information on just a few of the options for public transit to the Fair via ART and Metrobus. For more information on options available, please visit Car Free Diet.
ART 41
Columbia Pike – Ballston – Courthouse (Map & Timetable)
ART 41 makes several stops along Columbia Pike, at Ballston Common Mall, and the Court House and Clarendon Metro stations. Get off at the following stops near Thomas Jefferson Community Center to get to the fair:
- Southbound: S. Glebe Rd. @ 2nd Street S.
- Northbound: S. Glebe Rd @ 1st Rd. S.
Metrobus 10B
Hunting Point – Ballots (Map & Timetable)
Metrobus 10B serves Braddock Road station and Shirlington Bus Station and takes Walter Reed & Fillmore to the Ballston Metro station. To get to the fair:
- Get off at the 2nd St. S. & Old Glebe Rd stop
Metrobus 23A/23C
McLean – Crystal City Line (Map & Timetable)
Metrobus 23A/C travels to Crystal City, the Shirlington Bus Station and the Ballston Metro station with stops on Glebe Road and Old Dominion. Get off at the following stops to get to the fair:
- Southbound: S. Glebe Rd. @ 2nd Street S.
- Northbound: S. Glebe Rd @ 1st Rd. S.
Biking Directions
Riding your bike is one of the easiest and fun ways to get to the Arlington County Fair. Bike Arlington and partner Two Wheel Valet have teamed up to provide free valet bike parking on our tennis courts. We also have a limited number of bike racks (see map below). For questions on bicycle parking and biking in general, visit the BikeArlington tent.
Bike valet hours are as follows:
- Friday, August 18: 3:00 pm – 8:00 pm
- Saturday, August 19: 9:00 am – 6:00 pm
- Sunday, August 20: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
To explore low stress routes for biking to the fair, check out this map!
* Please note, if you enter the fairgrounds from Arlington Boulevard or the Arlington Boulevard Pedestrian Bridge, please use caution when operating a bicycle in crowds. Dismounting and walking your bicycle is recommended!
Walking Directions
We know that you’ll be enjoying lots of Fair food on your visit, so walking is a great way to get to and from the Fair and feel good! Information on walking to the Fair from nearby walkabouts and walking to the shuttle stops that service the Fair can be found below.
Walking Directions to the Fair
(From walkabout routes that are close to the fairgrounds)
Lyon Park Walkabout
Walking Directions to Fair: Walkabout ends at Lyon Park Community Center at 4th St North; Head west on 4th St N toward N Garfield St; Turn left onto N Irving St; Turn right onto Arlington Blvd. Trail; Slight right to Arlington County Fair. Distance is 0.8 mile.
Barcroft Walkabout
Walking Directions to Fair: Walkabout ends at Barcroft Community House at 800 S. Buchanan; Head north on S Buchanan St toward 8th St S; Turn right onto 8th St S; Slight right to stay on 8th St S; Turn left onto 7th St S; Turn left onto S Monroe St; Turn right onto 6th St S; Turn left onto S Glebe Rd; Turn right onto S Old Glebe Rd; Turn left to stay on S Old Glebe Rd; Turn right onto 2nd St S; Turn left to Arlington County Fair. Distance is 1.4 miles.
Ashton Heights Walkabout
Walking Directions to Fair: Walkabout ends at Arlington Arts Center at 3550 Wilson Blvd.; Walk south/turn right on North Monroe Street to 5th Street North. Turn left on 5th Street North to North Jackson Street. Follow North Jackson Street to Arlington Boulevard / Route 50 and the Jackson Street pedestrian bridge. Cross the bridge to the north side of the Fairgrounds. Distance is .75 mile.
Hotel Accommodations
NEARBY LODGING
Stay near the fair! Check out StayArlington’s webpage for a comprehensive list of Arlington hotels and an interactive map. Listings closest to the fairgrounds include:
- Days Inn Arlington Pentagon
- Days Inn Arlington/Washington DC
- Residence Inn Arlington Ballston
- The Westin Arlington Gateway (Fair Discount!)
- Hilton Arlington
Plan Your Trip with Car Free Diet
Frequently Asked Questions
WHEN IS THE FAIR?
The 2023 Arlington County Fair will be held on August 16th – 20th at the Thomas Jefferson Community Center located at 3501 Second Street South.
ADMISSION & COST
Admission to the Fair is FREE. Ride Ticket prices are listed on our website and can be purchased at the Fair. All activities on our Outdoor Stage and Kids’ Court are free of charge as well.
GETTING HERE / TRANSPORTATION
You can get to the fairground many different ways including taking rideshare, public transit, biking and even walking. Please see our Transportation page for more information on how to get to the Fair.
COMPETITIVE EXHIBITS
2023 Competitive Exhibit info is located on the Competitive Exhibits webpage.
DOGS PERMITTED?
Yes, they are permitted on the outdoor fairgrounds with a leash. Only service animals are permitted on shuttles and indoors.
ENTERTAINMENT
Check out all of the amazing acts on the Entertainment Stage and the exciting programs at Family Fun Spot.
HOURS
Hours vary each day, as well as for our indoor and outdoor activities. You can find more information here.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
The printed program can be picked up at the Fair information desk and will be posted on the website.
PARKING
There is limited public parking at the Fair. More information can be found here.
SHUTTLES
Shuttles will operate continuously throughout the Fair between the Bozman Government Building Garage (2100 Clarendon Blvd) and the fairgrounds (3501 2nd St S). Parking is free on weekends and after 5:00pm in the garage located beneath the Bozman Government Building.
The shuttle stop will be located on Clarendon Blvd., at the corner of 15th Street North in front of 2100 Clarendon Blvd, Arlington VA 22201; Bozman Government Building.
Shuttles will be operated by ART Bus.
VENDORS
Vendor Registration for the 2023 Fair is now closed! Check back next spring to register for the 2024 Fair!
VOLUNTEERS
Information on Volunteer registration is available here. No walk-up volunteers will be accepted.
GOING GREEN: ZERO WASTE AT THE ARLINGTON COUNTY FAIR
The Arlington County Fair is working toward the goal of becoming a zero waste event!
What we are doing:
- Banning all single-use plastic straws and replacing them with compostable options or strawless cups.
- Banning Styrofoam© food service items such as cups and clamshell containers distributed at the fair.
- Banning small condiment packets for mustard, ketchup and soy sauce, as well as small plastic Solo© cups for sauces. Vendors must use bulk distribution in paper cups for these items.
- Recycling all recyclable materials in a single-stream recycling system, including paper, cardboard, glass, aluminum and plastic materials.
- Expanding our composting efforts to be available throughout the fair. This removes food waste, paper products and other biodegradable items out of the event waste stream, reducing greenhouse gas emissions resulting from waste generated at the fair.
- Collecting food vendor grease that is taken to a plant for rendering. 40% of the processed grease is use to create bio fuel.
- Collecting and distributing manure generated by livestock at the fair for use in neighborhood gardens.
- Working with Arlington’s Car-Free Diet to promote transportation options to the fair, including biking and walking routes, nearby bike-share locations, bus and Metro options.
- Providing valet parking for bicycles free of charge for guests who bike to the event.
- Using reusable signage throughout the fair to minimize printed signage waste.
- Providing a water fill up station to encourage guests to use reusable water bottles.
Buy Ride Tickets
Rides
Cole Shows Amusement Company will return to the Arlington County Fair to provide amusement rides, midway games and delicious food for Fair-goers of all ages. For more information, visit Cole Amusements online at www.colerides.com.