Community Corner

Roller Coaster Coming to the Durham Fair This September

Fair officials expect the roller coaster — the first of its kind at a state fair — to increase revenue and attract more visitors.


There will be a new thrill at the Durham Fair this fall — a full sized roller coaster.

Durham Fair Association officials agreed last month to add a roller coaster to the list of attractions at the fair in an effort to attract more fairgoers and increase revenue.

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Although it's not clear how much the roller coaster itself will cost the fair to rent for the four-day event, the association expects to spend about $54,000 on site improvements before the roller coaster can be installed. 

Construction on the project is expected to start soon and will take about two weeks, according to the minutes of a June 27 Durham Fair officer's meeting.

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A fair official did not respond to Patch's request for comment. Members of the association voted 26 to 3 in favor of the roller coaster.

The ride would be the first of its kind at a Connecticut fair, and would be installed at the southern end of the Midway. Fair officials are still determining how much to charge visitors to ride the roller coaster although they indicated it would be the most expensive ride at the fair.

The Durham Fair will take place September 27-30.  will headline the state's largest agricultural fair.

A town official asked about the project declined to comment because he had not heard yet of the plan.


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