fairs

In the middle ages, large scale gatherings combining trade with sideshows and other entertainment. Unlike markets which were usually weekly and local, fairs took place only once or twice a year and so attracted commercial buyers from great distances. Many now survive as civic festivals, such as Nottingham's Goose Fair or Oxford's St. Giles' Fair, but modern trade fairs, such as the Farnborough Air Show, maintain the tradition.

In the USA, each state holds an annual fair in the autumn that combines agricultural and business exhibits with rides and games; the largest is the Texas State Fair. Many counties or regions within states also hold fairs during that season.