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Upcoming festivals in Acton →Acton Fall Fair 2026: The Best Little Fair in Ontario
113 years of pulls, poultry, and homecraft in Halton Hills
Dates
Sep 18–20
Cost
Ticketed
Where
Acton, ON
Parking
On-site
Three packed days at the Dufferin Rural Heritage Community Centre — heavy horse and tractor pulls, a poultry and dove show, live bands in the beer tent, blacksmithing demonstrations, and a fair that’s run in Acton since 1913.
🐴 Heavy horse pull
🚜 Tractor & truck pulls
🐓 Poultry show
🎸 Live music nightly
💡 Tickets can be bought online ahead of time or in person at any of five bank branches in downtown Acton — handy if you’d rather skip the gate line.
✨ Why This Fair Is Worth the Drive
Acton has been holding some version of a fall fair since 1846, but the “Acton Fall Fair” as it exists today dates to 1913 — meaning the 2026 edition is its 113th year. The nickname “The Best Little Fair in Ontario” isn’t just marketing; it’s a fair that packs an enormous amount of programming into a compact Halton Hills fairground without ever feeling like a big commercial midway.
The lineup leans hard into agricultural tradition — heavy horse pulls, cattle and dairy shows, a poultry and dove show, and blacksmithing demonstrations that run most of the weekend — while still finding room for live bands in the beer tent every night, an escape room, and a Plein Air painting challenge for local artists.
Families get their own dedicated programming too: a Kids Pedal Pull, a Baby Show, and “Meet the Keepers” animal encounters that run multiple times a day both Saturday and Sunday. It’s a fair built for a full day out, not just a quick pass through the midway.
📋 Fair Weekend Schedule
Full schedule is subject to change — check the fair’s official page closer to the date for any updates.
Friday, September 18
10:00 AM–2:00 PM — Education Day, Dufferin Community Centre & Fairgrounds
4:00 PM — Gates open to the public
5:00–10:00 PM — Escape Room, Fairgrounds
7:00 PM — Acton Citizens’ Band, DRHCC
7:00 PM — Heavy Horse Pull, Track
7:00 PM — Live music with Browns Garage, Beer Tent
8:00 PM — Acton Ambassador competition, DRHCC Stage
10:00 PM — DRHCC building closes
4:00 PM — Gates open to the public
5:00–10:00 PM — Escape Room, Fairgrounds
7:00 PM — Acton Citizens’ Band, DRHCC
7:00 PM — Heavy Horse Pull, Track
7:00 PM — Live music with Browns Garage, Beer Tent
8:00 PM — Acton Ambassador competition, DRHCC Stage
10:00 PM — DRHCC building closes
Saturday, September 19
8:00 AM — Gates open
8:15 AM–2:00 PM — Plein Air Challenge
9:00 AM — Homecraft Exhibitions open, DRHCC
9:30 AM — Poultry Show, Thompson Building
10:00 AM–6:00 PM — Blacksmithing Demonstration
10:30 AM — Baby Show (DRHCC Stage) & Cattle Show (Ring 4)
11:00 AM — Meet the Keepers; Heavy & Light Horse Show; Kids Pedal Pull
12:00 PM — Horseshoe Competition
1:00–3:00 PM — Urban Farming Demonstrations & Egg Judging
1:00 & 3:00 PM — Meet the Keepers
2:00–5:00 PM — Live music with Saltwater Cowboys, Beer Tent
3:00–4:00 PM — Free Bingo, DRHCC
6:00 PM — Lawn & Garden Pull, Track
6:00–8:00 PM — Evening with Spirit, DRHCC Stage
7:00 PM — Live music with Pulse X, Beer Tent
10:00 PM — DRHCC building closes
8:15 AM–2:00 PM — Plein Air Challenge
9:00 AM — Homecraft Exhibitions open, DRHCC
9:30 AM — Poultry Show, Thompson Building
10:00 AM–6:00 PM — Blacksmithing Demonstration
10:30 AM — Baby Show (DRHCC Stage) & Cattle Show (Ring 4)
11:00 AM — Meet the Keepers; Heavy & Light Horse Show; Kids Pedal Pull
12:00 PM — Horseshoe Competition
1:00–3:00 PM — Urban Farming Demonstrations & Egg Judging
1:00 & 3:00 PM — Meet the Keepers
2:00–5:00 PM — Live music with Saltwater Cowboys, Beer Tent
3:00–4:00 PM — Free Bingo, DRHCC
6:00 PM — Lawn & Garden Pull, Track
6:00–8:00 PM — Evening with Spirit, DRHCC Stage
7:00 PM — Live music with Pulse X, Beer Tent
10:00 PM — DRHCC building closes
Sunday, September 20
8:00 AM — Gates open
9:00 AM–3:00 PM — Dove Show & Youth Poultry Show, Thompson Building
9:00–10:00 AM & 10:15–11:15 AM — Goat Yoga (ticket required), Fairgrounds
10:00 AM — Homecraft Exhibitions open, DRHCC
10:00 AM–6:00 PM — Blacksmithing Demonstration
11:00 AM — Meet the Keepers; Dairy Cattle, Ring 4
11:30 AM — Halton 4-H Sheep Club Achievement Day
12:00 PM — Antique Tractor Pulls
1:00 PM — Meet the Keepers
1:30 PM — 4×4 Truck Pulls
3:00 PM — Meet the Keepers
4:00 PM — Exhibit Hall closes
5:00 PM — Homecraft exhibit pickup
6:00 PM — DRHCC building closes
9:00 AM–3:00 PM — Dove Show & Youth Poultry Show, Thompson Building
9:00–10:00 AM & 10:15–11:15 AM — Goat Yoga (ticket required), Fairgrounds
10:00 AM — Homecraft Exhibitions open, DRHCC
10:00 AM–6:00 PM — Blacksmithing Demonstration
11:00 AM — Meet the Keepers; Dairy Cattle, Ring 4
11:30 AM — Halton 4-H Sheep Club Achievement Day
12:00 PM — Antique Tractor Pulls
1:00 PM — Meet the Keepers
1:30 PM — 4×4 Truck Pulls
3:00 PM — Meet the Keepers
4:00 PM — Exhibit Hall closes
5:00 PM — Homecraft exhibit pickup
6:00 PM — DRHCC building closes
📌 Essentials
🎟️ Getting Tickets
Tickets are sold online through the fair’s ticketing page, or in person at RBC, BMO, Scotiabank, Tandia Financial, and TD Canada Trust branches in Acton.
🐐 Goat Yoga
Two ticketed sessions run Sunday morning at 9:00 and 10:15 AM — book ahead since spots are limited.
📝 Exhibiting
Entries are open in a variety of categories for all ages — check the annual Prize Book for classes, rules, and entry deadlines.
🎯 Best For
Families, livestock and agriculture enthusiasts, live music fans, and anyone who wants a full weekend of small-town fair programming rather than a single-day visit.
🏛️ From the Esquesing Fair to Today
Fairs go back even further than 1913 in this part of Halton — starting in 1846, the “Esquesing Fair” alternated between Acton and Georgetown, cycling through several names over the decades. In 1912, the township society running it voted to settle permanently in Georgetown, prompting Acton residents to form their own committee that spring and canvass the town for funding to launch an independent Acton Fall Fair.
The first Acton Fall Fair ran Tuesday and Wednesday, September 23–24, 1913, advertised as “Open to the World.” George Havill served as the first President and George Hynds as Secretary-Treasurer. The fair earned its first government grant in 1914, moved to weekend dates in 1942, expanded to three days in 1974, and celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2013.
Through wartime, the Depression, and more than a century of rainy fair weekends, the Acton Agricultural Society has kept the fair running continuously — a run of community volunteer effort that the Society credits directly for the fair’s longevity.
🚗 Getting There
The fair is held at the Dufferin Rural Heritage Community Centre and adjoining fairgrounds at 30 Park Avenue in Acton, part of the Town of Halton Hills, near Fairy Lake. On-site parking is available for fair visitors.
📍 Get Directions to the Fairgrounds
💡 A Few Things Worth Knowing Before You Go
🎟️ Buy tickets ahead of time. Skip the gate line by grabbing tickets online or at one of five participating bank branches in downtown Acton before fair weekend.
🐐 Book Goat Yoga early. Sunday’s two sessions are ticketed separately and tend to fill up — reserve a spot before the weekend if it’s on your list.
🚜 Pace yourself across three days. With pulls, shows, and live music spread across Friday through Sunday, it’s worth picking which day matches what you want to see rather than trying to catch everything in one visit.
🐓 Don’t skip the Thompson Building. The poultry, dove, and youth poultry shows run there most of the weekend and are an easy stop between the Track and the beer tent.
❓ Common Questions
Details may change — always confirm on the official Acton Agricultural Society website before heading out.
Location
Get DirectionsDufferin Rural Heritage Community Centre & Acton Fairgrounds, 30 Park Avenue, Acton, ON, L7J 1Y5
Nearby Attractions
The Clay Oven Tandoori Bar and Grill Indian and Nepali Restaurant
32 Mill Street East, Acton
Directions
