Getting There
Plan your transportation to the Common Ground Country Fair. Whether by car, train or bike, there are many ways to get to the Fair!
Getting to the Fair
Please consider carpooling with people in your family or friend unit. Or reduce traffic and save time, money, and energy by organizing a carpool with our partner, Go Maine, through MOFGA’s page on their website.
For more information about Go Maine, please visit their website. MOFGA does not assume responsibility for anything that transpires before, during or after use of Go Maine rideshares.
The number of bikes parked at the Fair has grown steadily, from 150 the first year to more than 600 in recent years. Pedal to the Fair and get a cheerful welcome and first-class bike valet parking, compliments of our wonderful Fair volunteers, in addition to a special thank you treat for biking to the Fair.
If you live too far to bike the whole way, drive partway then use one of our Park & Pedal satellite parking areas, which range from 2 to 15 miles from the Fair. To find the current list of sites, please refer to the online Park & Pedal map that the Bicycle Coalition of Maine created.
To use the routes, please:
- Download the Ride with GPS mobile app
- Log-in or create a new Ride with GPS account
- Navigate and/or save your preferred route using the link.
Once you’ve joined, you can:
- Use the voice navigation in the mobile app
- Download the offline maps to the mobile app
- Sync and send routes to a GPS cycling computer
Take the train to the Fair! Courtesy of the Belfast and Moosehead Lake Railroad, the train runs regularly from Thorndike and Unity to the Common Ground Country Fair. Park for free in Thorndike or Unity and ride the train right to the fairgrounds. The train is great for families or anyone looking to eliminate the long walk or shuttle ride from the parking lots to the gate. You can learn more about this fun transportation option here.
If you plan to take the train to the Fair, you will need to purchase a round-trip train ticket, as well as Common Ground Country Fair tickets.
One train runs from Thorndike (every half hour) and one from Unity (every 45 minutes) as follows: The Unity train leaves Unity at 8:40 a.m., and the Thorndike train leaves Thorndike at 8:50 a.m., with arrival at the fairgrounds at 9:05 a.m. The last trains leave the fairgrounds at 6:40 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 5:15 p.m. on Sunday. See complete train schedule here.
Recommended Travel Routes to the Fair
Take Route 3 East out of Augusta to Route 202. Turn left on 202 East and drive through China to Albion. On the north side of Albion, turn right onto Route 137, and follow it to the hilltop at Knox Corner. Turn left on Route 220 North to Thorndike and follow signs to the Fair.
Take Interstate 95 South to exit 174. Take Route 69 East to the intersection with Route 202. Turn right on Route 202 West and follow 202 to Unity. Route 202 will merge with Route 220, then 220 will branch to the left. Proceed south on Route 220 and follow the signs to the Fair.
Take Route 137 out of Belfast to Knox Corner. Turn right on Route 220 North to Thorndike and follow signs to the Fair.
Take Route 139 East across the bridge in Fairfield, through Benton and all the way to Unity Village. Turn left at the blinking light in Unity and follow signs to the Fair.
Cross the Kennebec River on the Carter Memorial Bridge and follow Route 137 all the way to the town of Knox. Turn left on Route 220 North to Thorndike and follow signs to the Fair.
Take Interstate 95 South to Bangor and follow the directions from Bangor.
Take Interstate 95 North to Augusta (exit 113) and follow signs to Route 3 East. Follow directions from Augusta.
Parking and Traffic Advisory
Traffic accessing the Fair can be heavy each morning and midday on Saturday and Sunday, particularly in good weather. The day with the lightest traffic tends to be Sunday. On Saturday and Sunday, the best times to arrive are before 10 a.m. and after 2 p.m.
During heavy traffic, the Waldo County Sheriff’s Office deputies will direct traffic in the most efficient path available, which usually leaves you parked farther from our gate. Shuttles run to our farther lots, so watch for signs and you’ll never be too far from the gate.
Parking spaces for fairgoers with disabilities are available in the parking lots serving all gates. If you have a handicap parking hang tag, please have it visible to help the Waldo County deputies directing traffic.
Park Nose-In, Please! Parking your vehicle nose-in takes 30 seconds; backing in takes a couple of minutes. The difference is huge when 2,000 vehicles per hour are entering. Please pull straight into your parking spot.
Remember Where You Park. The fairgrounds have two main gates, the Rose Gate to the north and the Pine Gate to the south.
You will be parked in the North Parking lots if you arrive through Unity. These lots are large and flat. When you enter the fairgrounds from the north through the Rose Gate, you’ll be at Bicycle Parking, one of the Farmers’ Markets and the Agricultural Demonstrations area.
South Parking is home to our large wind turbine and red barn. MOFGA’s lots on the southside are hilly and have thematic signs — “Fruits of the Harvest” (fruits and vegetables), “Farm Friends” (food, fiber and working animals) and “Garden Neighbors” (insects, mammals and amphibians related to farming) — arranged alphabetically along the parking rows. Note which sign is nearest your vehicle. See where you’re parked relative to the wind turbine.
Important Information from the Ticket Gate. Meet your party on the fairgrounds, not at the entrance gates. The Fair has two gates where fairgoers enter, depending on the direction they traveled: the Rose Gate at the north end of the fairgrounds and the Pine Gate at the south; so don’t tell family and friends that you’ll meet at “the gate,” because there are two gates. Instead, meet at a designated area inside the fairgrounds.
Pets. Pets are absolutely not allowed in the parking lots or on the fairgrounds. Please leave your pets at home!
