Thank you to State Fair Meadowlands for hosting us. As always, opinions are still 100% my own.

Summer is officially here and we are ready for some fun! I’ve been looking for local things to do with kids this season and adding them all up to my bucket list. And to celebrate the first week of summer fun adventure, nothing better than a State Fair!

Our family looks forward to State Fair Meadowlands every year! Last time we went though was when Gabriel was one year old, back in 2018. Then the following year Raphael was born and 2020 was canceled! So when we heard that this year they were opening, we had to visit!

If you want to experience a big carnival fun this summer, State Fair Meadowlands is your destination. It’s located at MetLife Stadium parking lot from June 20th until July 11th. They are open weeknights from 5 pm to 12 am, Fridays from 3 pm to 1 am, Saturdays from 2 pm to 1 am and Sundays from 2 pm to 12 am. Parking is free every day of the Fair. Tickets must be purchased online in advance at www.njfair.com. There are no tickets booth at the fair for general admission. Price this year include admission to fair, unlimited rides, free shows and entertainment, petting zoo and kids under 36” are admitted free.

Pricing information can be found at http://njfair.com/tickets/.

We arrived around 5pm when they had just opened and the kids were ready for some adventure! The fair offers something for everyone of every age and there is a lineup of attractions and shows all included with your fun pass.

The boys wanted to start by stopping at the Petting Zoo. Adults and children can get up close to a range of animal from around the world to pet and feed them. There were goats, ponies, llamas, donkeys and much more. The kids were so excited and just wanted to stay there feeding the animals for a while.

There is also pony ride available for an additional charge if your kids are feeling extra adventurous.

As we were strolling around the fair we see the SkyRide and my boy wants to go. To be honest I am not a huge fan of heights, but had to do it for the kid right!? And I’m glad I did! While gliding over the midway to the other side you can experience a beautiful top view of the fair and gaze upon New York City’s iconic skyline. We went twice and day or night, the experience is amazing!

The Fairgrounds also features hundreds of rides and attractions for all ages including the largest KiddieLand in New Jersey. There were tons of rides that my 4 year old was able to go alone and most of them I could also ride with my 2 year old. And that’s where we spent most of the time going from ride to ride. The kids basically went in all kiddies ride more than once. There were no lines in KiddieLand and that was not bad for a Thursday night!

And if you are down to a more relaxed experience, there are tons of attractions like having a face painted, posing for a cartoon caricature to loads of shopping. There are many categories vendors such as jewelry, cell phone accessories, clothing and accessories, LED toys, body art, and much more.

And what would a fair be without some games? State Fair Meadowlands features so many different game stations, I can’t even count them. I’m talking ring tosses, dunk tanks, basketball hoops, bottle breaking, balloon popping, water squirting, gun shooting, you name it.

After all the entertainment available, it’s time to refuel! State Fair Meadowlands offer the best food and beverage vendors, so no matter what you are craving, there is plenty of options from corn-dogs, funnel cake, cotton candy, burgers, fresh-squeezed lemonade, ice cream and deep fried anything you can think of including Oreos! If you are looking for something exotic, make sure to stop at Gators and Taters for some shark kabobs and alligator bites! The kabobs were delicious! The boys went for traditional chicken fingers and fries and we also got a family size fresh-squeezed lemonade!

After eating we checked the schedule for some fun shows and traveling back to Jurassic Period sounded like a great one.

Jurassic Kingdom is a one-of-a-kind exhibition that not only enables audiences the opportunity to see dinosaurs in action, it gives them the opportunity to touch and interact with them throughout the show. The boys were so happy to see some dinos in action! And they had so much fun!

Up next we went to cheer for some pigs!

The Racing Pigs is one of their populars performing shows. Be ready to throw your arms in the air and cheer for your pig as they race on the track to go get their treats!

Overall, the NJ Meadowlands State Fair is a great attraction and the perfect place to gather with your family for a day or night of fun! If you plan on visiting the weekend of July 4th there will also be fireworks!