The traditional fairground in St Fagans National Museum of History is fun for children and adults alike. Have you been there this year?
The rides and equipment are hand-painted, which contributes to the charm of the fairground. Image source: Webpage of Traditional Fairground, St Fagans National Museum of History
The traditional fairground in St Fagans National Museum of History is soon going to shut down for the year.
Thomas Smith, owner of Vale of Glamorgan Amusements (the company which runs the fairground), has said that the date of closure is 10 December, 2017.
The fairground is currently open on weekends.
Although the usual timing is 10am to 5pm, Thomas informed that an extra slot of 6pm to 9pm is scheduled for 6 December through 9 December, 2017.
The journey this year started in February; it will restart again on February 2018.
During the break of a couple of months or so, the team behind the fairground will work on repairing and repainting. Image source: Webpage of Traditional Fairground, St Fagans National Museum of History
“Generally, there are about 15 items on the fairground,” Thomas said. “There is a lot more; we do a lot of swapping between the shed and the fairground.”
This points out to the possibility that even if you had been to the fairground before, it may still be worth your time to make a revisit.
The attractions include carousel, coconut shy, Mutoscope (an early motion picture device), hook-a-duck, hall of mirrors, old slot machines, a food stall offering quintessential delicacies found in old-fashioned fairgrounds, etc.
Thomas informed that his family has been in this trade since 1850s, and most of the items have been in their possession for generations.
“We play music from 1950s and 1960s. We are also big on lighting,” Thomas said about the ambience ad theme of the place.
The site attracts children and adults alike.
“Parents and grandparents often find themselves reminiscing when they visit this place because it brings back fond memories,” Thomas explained.
It is also exciting for foreigners.
As Gaurav Shekhar, a 20-year-old student from India who visited the fair recently, pointed out, “I found myself comparing it with fairs in my country. Fairgrounds are different in each culture and yet are so similar! They seem to share a universal DNA.”