The 2025 Salem Fair closed out a dozen days of excitement and family fun on Sunday night. The 37th edition of the fair will once again be considered a success, although a consistent string of temperatures in the 90s and several days of storms and showers definitely influenced the results, according to organizers.
“Overall, we are very pleased with all aspects of the fair in 2025, but some days it was a struggle,” said Carey Harveycutter, Salem Fair manager. “The often-oppressive summer heat, that has been present for several years now, certainly had an impact on attendance and spending, but there were still plenty of smiling faces and long lines for rides and attractions.”
Harveycutter says neither he nor many longtime vendors who have been coming to Salem for decades can recall so many days in the 90s. Each day of the 2025 fair saw temperatures top the 90 degree mark with plenty of humidity.
“You cannot control the weather, so you have to adjust the best you can,” he said. “When there was a threat of rain, our crowds arrived later, so our concessionaries and midway folks had to prepare accordingly.”
Preparation was key as Salem’s Taliaferro Complex once again showed its incredible versatility. The venue simultaneously hosted America’s Largest Free Gate Fair and two sold-out performances of the wildly popular “Banana Ball” presented by the Salem Red Sox on July 11 and 12. The players and many fans attended the fair before enjoying the games, and most benefitted from the elaborate shuttle bus system that ran flawlessly.
“I cannot say enough about all the staff members citywide who stretched themselves beyond belief to make this happen,” said Wendy Delano, Salem’s director of civic facilities. “Our co-workers at the Salem Civic Center and the Salem School Division’s Bus Drivers were just amazing, and while it was no small feat to execute, we are thankful we could present both events for all involved.”
Plenty of folks also worked extremely hard to promote the opportunity to make donations to the non-profits that benefit from the fair experience. Unfortunately, rain or the threat of it disrupted those donation nights.
Only 650 pairs of socks were donated to the Rescue Mission and Mrs. Dorsey’s Clothes Closet this year, and the Salem-Roanoke County Food Pantry only amassed 2,900 pounds of non-perishable food. In 2023, when the threat of rain was absent on those donation nights, fairgoers dropped off more than 2,500 pairs of socks along with a record 4,723 pounds of food.
“When the weather turns bad, it becomes a domino effect,” said Harveycutter. “But the good news is that people can support these great causes year-round, long after the fair has ended.”
The best way to stay dry and cool was to step inside the air-conditioned comfort of the Salem Civic Center arena. The Blue-Ribbon exhibit section was back in the arena for the fourth straight year, and it once again showcased some incredible creativity. A total of 238 exhibitors entered 1,285 items in a variety of competitive categories ranging from quilting to ceramics.
For the third straight year, Salem Police leaders say they did not experience any major incidents on the fairgrounds.
