ABOUT THE SOUTH COUNTY PARK
The 42-acre parcel of land between Routes 179 and 202 was once the site of the Hunterdon Drive-in Theater, the County's first and only drive-in. County business leaders formed and financed their own management company for its creation in
1950. It used the latest technology from
RCA motion pictures and sound equipment. In 1958, its name was changed
to the Ringoes Drive-in, which operated until 1976 when it closed due to declining attendance. It re-opened between 1981 and 1986 as the Gem Theater. In 2002, the County acquired the site to serve as the
Hunterdon County Fairgrounds.
The County has also acquired three undeveloped tracts, adding to the acreage of the South County Park. The first two
are on the east side of Route 179 in West
Amwell Township. The first acquisition
occurred in 2001 and preserved 173 acres,
while the second obtained in 2004 adding
an additional 79 acres. In 2006, the County acquired 47 acres increasing the
Fairground Section to a total of 341 acres.
LOCATION
PHYSICAL ADDRESS:
FAIRGROUNDS ENTRANCE/MAIN PARK AREA:
1207 ROUTE 179,
LAMBERTVILLE, NJ 08530
HUNTER'S PARKING: 1150 STATE HIGHWAY 202, RINGOES, NJ 08551
Location: The South County Park is located in East and West Amwell Townships at the junction of Route 179 and 202. The park is open only during scheduled events (i.e. Hunterdon County 4H Ag Fair, County sponsored events, craft shows, etc.). Temporary restroom facilities are available during these vents.
Directions from the Flemington Area: Take Route 202/31 south for approximately 6 miles to the exit for Route 179 south. Once on Route 179, the entrance is about 500 yards on the right just beyond the underpass.
Directions from the Lambertville Area: Take Route 179 north towards Ringoes. After approximately 5 miles you will see the park entrance on the left.
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AREA MAP AND BROCHURE
Brochures and maps are set up as foldable brochures.
Please print and fold in half vertically to view in proper order. Additionally,
you may have to rearrange pages. Maps should be printed on Legal Size
Paper.
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RESERVABLE FACILITIES
Currently the Open-sided Pole Barns #1 – 4 are reservable.
Most of the structures and field areas of the South County Park can be reserved for special activities. For information, availability or to general inquiries about events at the South County Park, contact the park office at (908)-782-1158.
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RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
With the exception of scheduled events that are held within the Fairground Section of the park, no other types of recreational opportunities are offered at this time.
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HUNTING
In order to control the deer population, hunting is allowed (by Parks Division permit only) in some sections of this park. Please wear blaze orange during hunting season or confine your visits to Sundays. See additional information on the Hunterdon County Park System Controlled Hunting Program.
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HUNTERDON COUNTY 4-H & AGRICULTURE FAIR
The South County Park serves as the home for the Hunterdon County 4-H Agricultural Fair. Since colonial times, agricultural fairs have been the way local agrarian-based communities gathered in friendship to celebrate the year and share common interests. The Hunterdon area held such events as early as 1745. The purchase of land and organization of the official fair began in Flemington in 1855. In 1933, it became the famous "Flemington Agricultural Fair." With the exception of several years during the Civil War when the fairgrounds were used as a training ground for Union troops, the Flemington Fair ran uninterrupted for 145 years until
moving to the South County Park in 2004.
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