School Groups
Bring Your Students to the Common Ground Fair!
Planning to bring a school group to the Fair?
K-12 school groups are welcome to attend the Common Ground Country Fair for free on Friday, September 19.
The school group day is intended for K-12 school groups only. Public, charter, private, and homeschool groups are all welcome! Please note that the number of chaperones cannot exceed the number of K-12 students in a group.
We encourage pre-registration, but you can still check your school group in at the “School Gate” for free when you arrive on Friday morning. Check-in for school groups runs from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. Tickets secure access to the Fair for the full day on Friday. All school groups are asked to enter at the School Gate, next to the North/Rose gate. Parking for school buses, vans, and cars is available in the North Lot.
College groups: If you’re a college group looking to attend the Fair at no cost, we encourage your group to volunteer. You can find open volunteer opportunities here, or if you’re a big group, you can get in touch with Timothy Boston — [email protected] — about setting up a volunteer project for your specific group.
Questions? Email Madi Whaley at [email protected].
After attending, group leads can submit for mileage reimbursement. Checks will be sent throughout the months of October and November.
Mileage will be reimbursed at the following rates:
Full-Size School Bus – $1/mile
Full-Sized Van (12+ Passengers) – $.50/mile
Homeschool Vehicle – $.35/mile ($100 maximum per group)
For information on what to expect at the Fair, including our many educational offerings, click here.
Pre-registration is closed, but school groups can register in person at the school gate on Friday morning.
- The CGCF does not permit pets on the fairgrounds or in the Fair parking areas.
- No smoking on the fairgrounds, except for the designated smoking area across from the Fair Office.
- Fair participants may not build fires without written permission from the CGCF office.
- The CGCF strictly enforces Maine laws prohibiting public drinking of alcohol and use of illegal drugs on the fairgrounds and in the Fair parking lots.
- Unauthorized possession of firearms, weapons or explosives is not allowed on the Fairgrounds.
- The CGCF prohibits from the fairgrounds audio and video devices audible to the general public unless they are part of a CGCF-approved demonstration.
- Fair participants may not feed livestock or other display animals unless they are tending their own animals.
- Fair participants may not litter.
- Fair participants may not bring skateboards, bicycles or other unauthorized wheeled vehicles on the fairgrounds.
- The CGCF office assumes no liability for damage to or loss of personal property.
