Fairgrounds is the physical site, the grandstand, exhibition hall, livestock barns, and open midway lot together, where a fair is held, as distinct from the fair, which is the annual event that occupies that site for a set run of days. Some Massachusetts fairgrounds operate close to year-round, hosting a mix of markets, shows, and rentals between the main fair dates, most visibly the site in West Springfield that hosts The Big E, a multi-state New England exposition rather than a single county's fair. Many of the smaller entries in this directory, particularly one-day town and Grange fairs, use a town common, school field, or church grounds instead of a dedicated, purpose-built fairgrounds, which limits how much grandstand or midway infrastructure they can run.
Also known as: fair site, showgrounds.
