By Elle Wood

HARRINGTON — The city’s busiest 10 days of the year are approaching.

From July 18-27, the Delaware State Fair will attract thousands of visitors from far and wide.

And they will all need to park.

Bill Jester has been part of the fair’s board of directors since 1991 and was put in charge of its mostly free parking three years later. He said he has developed a system for drivers that results in minimal hassle when coming to the fairgrounds.

“The northbound traffic and the southbound traffic never actually meet on the grounds,” he said. “So, if you are coming from the east, west or north, we recommend that you use (U.S.) 13 southbound.

“But don’t listen to your GPS because the GPS tries to direct you on to Fairground Road, and that’s not where you need to be,” he continued. “You need to be about a half-mile south of that.”

Those coming from the west can also park on the west, he added.

“We have beautiful parking in the west side, which is the Brown Pig Lot,” Mr. Jester said. “People there are directed onto Farmington Road, then onto Fairground Road, and you will have ample parking there.”

As far as ideal arrival times, he has some advice to avoid congestion.

“My recommendation is before 4 o’clock,” Mr. Jester said. “Between the hours of 4 and 8, everybody thinks they can get there. It’s just like going to a major event, like a ballgame; you have the backup in traffic. If you come before 4 p.m. or after 8 p.m., the backup really doesn’t exist.”

Mr. Jester said the fair’s parking crew remains calm during the busiest times, working closely with the Delaware Department of Transportation to ensure smooth motoring.

“We have excellent communications,” he said. “Through DelDOT, they manage the inflow and outflow of traffic with message boards and ... trucks. They actually do very professional work with drones that we utilize that can tell us how we need to alternate or motivate our traffic around.”

The fair also provides shuttles from the parking areas to the gates. But Mr. Jester urged patience with those.

“We do recommend that people are patient to get on the shuttles,” he noted. “We have 10 out there that are operating outside the gates and three on the inside of the gates.”

One arrives about every 15 minutes, and they run all day.

Parking in the general lots is free; however, there are options to get closer for a price.

The VIP lot is adjacent to the main gate. Guests can purchase single-day or multiday passes to park in those spots. The cost is $25, plus service fees, for each day, and tickets can be purchased on the fair’s website.

There is also a handicapped-accessible lot by the main gate. And, if it’s full, dropoff and pickup options are available.

Ultimately, the fair’s staff seeks to provide guests with ease when going to and from the event.

“My saying has been that parking is the first thing you see and the last thing you see when you get to the Delaware State Fair,” Mr. Jester said. “So, we try to give the best impression possible.”

For information, visit delawarestatefair.com.