Fair Opens Today

By Cynthia Drummond for BRVCA

August 13th 2025

RICHMOND – The town’s biggest event, the Washington County Fair, kicked off Wednesday morning and will continue until Sunday at 8 p.m.

An annual event that began in 1967 in Wakefield and moved to Richmond two years later, the fair is owned by the Washington County Pomona Grange and attracts thousands of visitors.

After an influx of visitors and cars parked along Route 112 caused a traffic jam in 2023, public safety officials made certain that in 2024, people did not park along the road and offered satellite parking lots with shuttle service.

Richmond police are taking a proactive approach again this year, posting information on social media.

Police Chief Elwood Johnson is asking fair goers to follow the directions of police officers and other officials to the appropriate parking areas. The new roundabout did not cause any problems last year.

Johnson said the roads to the fairground were never intended to accommodate the number of cars that converge on the fair and he is hoping people will be patient.

“Traffic is always a challenge,” he said, “because it all comes down to one road.”

Johnson also strongly urged people to consider parking in the Beaver River satellite lot and taking the shuttle to the fairground.

“I swear by it,” he said. “Those offsite lots, they really do work. I’d much rather get on a bus that takes me right to the entrance.”

Town Council President Samantha Wilcox, who will introduce the opening musical act on Friday, said the fair was important to the area’s non-profit groups.

“The fair is extremely important to all the local non-profits in the Chariho area,” she said. “Every booth you go to is supporting the Fire Department, the Boy Scouts, local charitable groups – there’s many that you can support by going.”

Wilcox noted that local small businesses also benefit from the exposure they receive at the fair.

“There’s a lot of self - employed people, people with their crafts or side businesses that are vendors at the fair,” she said.

Tickets

General admission is $12. Children 10 years old and younger are admitted free.

A complete fair schedule is posted on the Washington County Fair website.