The annual Chennai Trade Fair that happens on Island Grounds is a popular tourist event. You get all round entertainment for the family here – some shopping, rides, booths and government department stalls, etc.
Nowadays every year I go there to take my son on the Toy Train they have here. This year they seem to have added Horse rides and few other attractions for kids. The Dora House was a total waste of money – just had two dolls of Dora and flashing lights. Tomorrow is the last day of this years’ event, so we finally came here today – there is not much crowd at 7:30/8PM and they are open till 11 PM, and we had a good time. We tried coming here last Sunday but the parking that day was full and flowing to Gymkhana club, so turned back. In the shopping stalls, you get a variety of plastic items, toys, garments, cotton cloths, eatables, spices, herbal oils and so on. This year I saw a bookshop too. I forgot to carry enough cash and there are no ATMs inside the fair or near-by, so we had to control our shopping urges which was good in a way. My wife says I did this intentionally!
BTW, this year the parking charges have been increased to Rs.40 (8 times the normal Rs.5 charged elsewhere by Chennai Corporation).
A good place to hang out if you don’t mind the sand
Model of a town primary school
Model of Arulmigu Mahalakshmi Temple, Besant Nagar