Goose Fair, located at Forest Recreation has returned to Nottingham this Autumn. This will be Ted’s third time there as we have taken him every year since he was born! The fair is open from Friday 27 September to Sunday 6 October.
There are more than 350 rides and attractions to be enjoyed by all ages. Goose Fair is one of the largest travelling funfairs in Europe and has been staged annually in Nottingham since at least 1284. The layout of the rides and food is always very similar each year, so it’s very easy to navigate around the fair if you have visited before.
New rides this year include the Hulk – XL Super Trooper, Aerospace, Equinox, and a classic vintage wheel. There will also be lots of returning favourites such as Atmosfear, Matterhorn, Starflyer, Magic Mouse, and giant wheels giving panoramic views across the fair and the city beyond. There will always be fair favourties such as Waltzers, Dodgems, Gallopers and the Cake Walk. Also you will have many chances to win prices on hook-a-duck, hoopla, darts, and basketball.
For the first time ever at Goose Fair, SEND sessions will take place on Sundays from 12pm-1pm. Going to a funfair should be an exciting experience, but for some children and people with special educational needs and disabilities, the loud noises and bright lights can be alarming. I’m really pleased to see this new introduction as everyone should be able to enjoy the experience.
Food is always one of our favourite things at the fair. There’s so much variety to choose from Greek, Caribbean, Mexican and also of course the traditional fairground favourites of mushy peas and Cocks-on-Sticks. We had a pulled pork cob and Nutella doughnuts. They were delicious! The doughnuts with Nutella were £7.
We were originally going to drive to the City and walk to the Fair as there was meant to be a strike. The tram strike has now been called off and services have returned to normal to Goose Fair at The Forest tram stop.
We normally use the Clifton South or Toton Lane park and ride sites however this time we decided to use Phoenix Park stop which is near to Ikea. It’s a quick 20 minute journey for us on the Motorway. The parking is free and we purchased a Group tickets (which can be used for 2 adults & 3 children) for £9. This covered us for the day on tram. I purchased the tickets on the Netgo app however there are ticket machines on site as well. It was only a few stops away and didn’t take any time at to get to the fair. The tram does drop you off at the entrance.
There were so many rides to choose from! Ted went on the runaway train and carousel. There was a small meltdown after both as he loved them and wanted to go back on! Both rides did last for a few minutes and were very popular with families and young children.
We love going to Goose Fair every year. It will always be a family favourite for us. It’s been amazing watching Ted’s progression every year at the fair. His becoming more aware of everything. We will most definitely be back next year for more family fun, rides and treats!
Opening times
Friday 27 September: 4pm-11pm
Saturday 28 September: 12pm-11pm
Sunday 29 September: 12pm-9pm (SEND session 12pm-1pm)
Monday 30 September: 4pm-10.30pm
Tuesday 1 October: 4pm-10.30pm
Wednesday 2 October: 4pm-10.30pm
Thursday 3 October: 4pm-10.30pm
Friday 4 October: 4pm-11pm
Saturday 5 October: 12pm-11pm
Sunday 6 October: 12pm-9pm (SEND session 12pm-1pm)