Cambridge Fall Fair 2026: 180+ Years of Community

Four days of midway rides, live music, and demolition derby at Dickson Park

📍 Get Directions Full Schedule

Campbell’s Amusements rides, a vendor marketplace inside the Dickson Centre, a Friday night demolition derby, and a Saturday “Grease is the Word!” tribute concert — one of Canada’s longest-running fairs, going strong since 1845.

🎡 Midway rides 💥 Demolition derby 🎤 Live tribute concert 🛍 Vendor marketplace

💡 Thursday and Sunday are completely free to attend with free parking — a great way to see the midway and marketplace without the Friday/Saturday gate fee.

Why Go Schedule Essentials Getting There Tips FAQ

✨ Why This Fair Has Lasted 180+ Years

The South Waterloo Agricultural Society has been running this fair since 1845, which puts it among the oldest continuously held fairs in Canada. That’s a genuinely remarkable run, and it shows in how the fair has aged: it’s kept the traditional agricultural-fair bones (a marketplace of vendors and crafters inside the Dickson Centre) while building out a proper midway and concert lineup that draws a much wider crowd than a typical small-town fair.

Dickson Park itself is a genuinely good setting — a natural amphitheatre-style hill gives everyone a decent sightline to the Main Stage even without reserved seating, and the grandstands provide covered seating if you’d rather not sit on the grass. Campbell’s Amusements runs the midway rides all four days, and there’s a proper beer garden if you’re coming without kids for an evening out.

This year’s headline nights are a Friday night demolition derby from Impact Motorsports and a Saturday night “Grease is the Word!” tribute concert with The Doo Wop Boyz opening — a good mix if your group wants both the classic fair spectacle and a proper night of live music.

What really sets this fair apart from a lot of newer festivals is the sheer continuity. The South Waterloo Agricultural Society has been organizing it through world wars, the Great Depression, and every economic swing since — the kind of institutional memory that only comes from a community deciding, year after year for nearly two centuries, that this is worth doing again. Longtime attendees will notice the fair pays tribute to the volunteers who keep it running; the Society’s own messaging this year specifically honours contributors whose decades of quiet work behind the scenes made the modern fair possible.

📅 Full Schedule

Four distinct days — a free preview Thursday, two paid marquee nights, and a free family wind-down Sunday. Each day has its own rhythm, so it’s worth picking your day around what you actually want to see rather than assuming any one day covers everything.

📋 Essentials

🚗 Getting There & Parking

Dickson Park sits at 30 Parkhill Road West in Cambridge, right along the Grand River in the city’s historic core. It’s an easy walk from downtown Galt if you’re staying nearby, and the park’s central location means you’re never far from restaurants, cafes, and washrooms outside the fairgrounds if the lines inside get long.

From the 401: Exit south on Hespeler Road, turn right at the Cambridge Mill restaurant, and cross the bridge — the park is right there.

Parking: On-site parking is $10 on Friday and Saturday, free on Thursday and Sunday subject to availability — come early on the free days to secure a spot.

💡 A Few Things Worth Knowing Before You Go

🎒 Leave the backpack at home. They aren’t permitted anywhere on the fairgrounds — plan your bag situation accordingly, especially with kids.

🧺 Bring a blanket for the demolition derby. Friday night’s main event draws a big crowd on the hill — a blanket makes the grass seating much more comfortable.

💰 Go Thursday or Sunday to save money. Both days are completely free with free parking — a smart choice if you mainly want the midway and marketplace without the gate fee.

🌦️ Check the weather before you head out. High winds, rain, or lightning can shut down individual rides or the whole midway, and the fair does not issue refunds or rain-checks for closures.

❓ Common Questions