Site Restrictions:
No alcohol may be sold or consumed on site and no open flames are allowed.
The site opens at 9:00 am and closes at 9:00 pm for cleanup.
The dayboard foodstuffs are not included in the site fee and must be purchased separately (other foods are available off-site in shopping areas about 1 mile away).
The central field is for "light foot traffic only" - you may picnic there and play bocce and similar games, but please no activities that might tear up the grass.
Please do not play in the pond. Its use is unauthorized and unsupervised and we will not be held responsible for accidents.
Location:
The event is at the Middlesex County 4-H
Fairgrounds on South Chelmsford Road (no street address) in Westford, MA,
northwest of Boston, near the Westford/Chelmsford line. There is no public transit, but people who need rides should contact the autocrat in advance to help schedule runs to the nearest bus and/or commuter rail station.
Directions:
Take exit 32 off Rt. 495 (this is midway between the exits for Rt. 2 and Rt. 3). If you were travelling southbound on 495, turn left at end of ramp; if you were travelling northbound, turn right at end of ramp; in either case the turn is marked as to "Nashoba Valley Tech H.S." You should now be heading generally south towards Boston. Turn left at the first traffic light onto 110 East and go about 0.6 miles. You'll pass some large shopping/restaurant areas (including a Dunkin Donuts, McDonalds, Burger King, and Wendys) and after that turn right onto South Chelmsford Road. Go about 1 mile and the site will be on your right.
Alternate Directions From Inside 495: take the exit for Rt. 4 & 225 North from 128/95 in Lexington. Follow signs for Rt. 225 through Bedford and Carlisle. About 1-1/4 mile past Carlisle Station (intersection with Main St.), there's a Y-intersection. Take the right fork onto Carlisle Road (not 225 North) and then the next right onto Old Lowell Road. Follow Old Lowell Road until it T-intersects with South Chelmsford Road, then take a right, and the site is on your right.
Parking:
General parking is in the first indicated field or go a little further and turn in the gate for drop-off, merchant, marshal, and handicap parking only. If you're staying till the end of the event, the general parking field may be fairly dark and you might want to bring a flashlight for the evening. Equestrian parking is accessible through the general parking area.
Map:
MapQuest map of site; you might want to check out their "aerial photo" too, it's very cool.
Other Info:
There are no paved paths. Otherwise the site is fairly accessible with all event buildings at ground level, but with a steep slope down to the horse corrals and archery/thrown weapons area. There is a rather old restroom building but there will also be regular and handicap portajohns. Most of the event buildings are open-sided pavilions, so merchants may
wish to bring tents or covered booths to house their wares in case of inclement weather. There is also a webpage with photos of the site, but with many photos it's very slow loading.
Hotels:
Anything close to Rt. 495 will get you to the site quickly, but here are the five closest:
Residence Inn by Marriott
7 Lan Drive (just south of exit 32 off Rt. 495), Westford, MA 01886; from $105/room; very close to the site but already booked up for June 8th; street is too new for online mapping sites
Radisson Hotel & Suites
10 Independence Dr. (just south of exit 34 off Rt. 495), Chelmsford, MA 01824; from $89/room; map
Best Western Chelmsford Inn
187 Chelmsford St. (north of exit 34 off Rt. 495), Chelmsford, MA 01824; from $79/room; map
Courtyard by Marriott
30 Industrial Ave. East (just north of Rt. 495 off Lowell Connector),Lowell, MA 01852; from $79/room; map
Hawthorn Suites
25 Research Place (north of Rt. 495 off Rt. 3), North Chelmsford, MA 01863; from $79/room; map
And some more hotels south of the site off Rt. 495:
Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel & Trade Center
181 Boston Post Road West, (west of exit 24B off Rt. 495 at Rt. 20), Marlborough, MA 01752; from $89/room
Radisson Hotel Marlborough
75 Felton St. (west of exit 24B off Rt. 495 at Rt. 20), Marlborough, MA 01752; from $94/room
Hampton Inn - Marlborough
277 Boston Post Road West, (west of exit 24B off Rt. 495 at Rt. 20), Marlborough, MA 01752; from $89/room
Red Roof Inn - Boston Southborough
367 Turnpike Road (east of exit 23A off Rt. 495 at Rt. 9), Southborough, MA 01772; from $60/room on internet
