Fair & Festival Glossary
Plain-English definitions of real fair and festival terminology, from lumberjack competitions to the midway.
- 4-HThe youth agriculture and life-skills program whose members exhibit at most New Jersey county fairs.
- MidwayThe rides, games and concession strip at a fair, usually run by a contracted carnival operator.
- GrandstandThe permanent seating structure facing a fairground arena or track, and the ticketed shows staged there.
- Premium bookThe published rulebook listing every competition class at a fair and the prize money attached to it.
- PullingA fairground contest where a tractor, truck or draft animal team drags a weighted sled as far as it can.
- Exhibition hallThe indoor building where judged non-livestock entries are displayed: baking, produce, needlework, photography, floral.
- ShowmanshipA judged class scoring how well the handler presents an animal, not the animal's own conformation.
- Agricultural fairA fair whose organizing purpose is judged competition in farming, livestock and home arts.
- Baby paradeA New Jersey shore tradition in which decorated carriages, floats and costumed children parade along the boardwalk or a main street.
- Jersey FreshThe New Jersey Department of Agriculture's branding for produce grown in the state, seen on fair and farm-stand signage.
- Jersey tomatoThe state's signature summer crop and a standard judged class in fair produce competitions.
- Italian-American feastA multi-day neighborhood festival tied to a Catholic patron saint's feast day, combining a procession with food stands and rides.
- ZeppoleFried dough dusted with powdered sugar, the standard sweet at Italian-American feasts and many fair midways.
- Pine BarrensThe sandy, pine-forested region of southern New Jersey that grows the state's blueberries and cranberries.
- ShadA migratory river fish whose spring run up the Delaware is the basis of Lambertville's April festival.
- SkylandsNew Jersey's northwestern tourism region, covering Sussex, Warren, Morris and neighboring highlands.