During the last week of August each year, the Great Dorset Steam Fair comes alive across the countryside in Tarrant Hinton near Blandford Forum. Now running for over 50 years, you can experience a traditional British event which offers a unique blend of nostalgia and entertainment. Come and soak up the special festival atmosphere. There really is no other event like it anywhere in the world.
From humble beginnings back in the late 1960’s, the fair has now grown to be the world’s largest heritage event. The spectacle covers an enormous showground, at over 600 acres. If you have not been before you will be amazed at the sheer scale of the show. However this means that regular visitors always find something new to see. Incredibly it now welcomes over 200,000 visitors over the 5 days which it runs.
Flying over the Great Dorset Steam Fair on Saturday@steamfair pic.twitter.com/P2M02I5wCp
— Clement Allen (@clementallen) August 28, 2018
The 600 acre site renowned for showcasing the best of British heritage. Visitors can expect to see hundreds of working steam powered engines performing many different purposes. In the outdoor arenas there is a huge variety of exhibitions and demonstrations to enjoy; from monster truck shows to heavy horse displays.
Undercover, in the sea of marquees, you will discover a host of stalls with collectors and enthusiasts displaying all manner of things including rural crafts, models and auto jumble.
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The fair takes on a different atmosphere once the sun goes down. The lights from the steam engines, the fun fair and the lighting along the avenues illuminates the whole site creating an almost magical display. There is live music throughout the grounds, adrenaline fun rides from every era and a variety of live performance acts on display.
When it’s time to refuel you’ll find an excellent selection of catering stands at the show. There is food from around the world. Some of our favourite cuisine includes Indian, Oriental, Mexican, crepes, pizza, hog roast, steaks, Cornish pasties, jacket potatoes, toasted sandwiches, ploughman’s as well as the good old English fish and chips and hot dogs. Whatever your taste is, they’ll have it covered!
Getting to the Fair from our campsite only takes around 30 minutes. However be aware that the roads around the ground can get very congested at certain times. Our advise is to get there early so you can spend the whole day enjoying everything on offer at the fair.
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What a fabulous place! Our first outing in our new campervan to try it out, the campsite and facilities are... 
thewardrobem, Nov 2023
The best campsite I've ever stayed at, usually large complexes lose a bit of what camping is about, but not... Colin, May 2023
Great stay, very clean excellent facilities. Bus into Poole 15 mins nice shops and great walk by the Quay. Definitely... Janet, Nov 2023
When on your site we use bikes. Is it possible to bike to the show or is there a bus or could we walk ?
Hi Lesley, yes you can cycle to the show. It is about 17 miles via the Castleman Trailway. Alternatively there is a shuttle bus to the show which leaves from Blandford. You would need to get to Poole bus station and take the X8 to get to Blandford. We hope this helps.
Once in the event, how much are the rides each please?
We’re not sure as the prices for each attraction can vary.