🌾 169th Annual Fair
👨👩👧👦 Family Friendly
Dundalk Fall Fair 2026: Let the Good Times Grow
A weekend of tractor pulls, a derby, fiddle contests, and family fun the weekend after Labour Day
Dates
Sept 11–13
Cost
$5–$10/day
Where
Dundalk, ON
Kids 12 & Under
Free
A demolition derby, antique tractor and truck pulls, ATV barrel races, and the 67th Canadian Open fiddle and step dancing competition — the Dundalk Fall Fair packs an unusually wide range into one weekend, and all the kids’ activities are free.
🎻 Fiddle & Step Dance Contest
🐄 Livestock Shows
💥 Demolition Derby
🚜 Tractor & Truck Pulls
💡 All kids’ activities are free with paid admission — inflatables, agriculture education, pony rides, and magic shows don’t cost anything extra.
✨ Why This Fair Is Worth the Drive
The Dundalk Agricultural Society has been running this fair for 169 years, which makes it one of the older continuous agricultural fairs in Grey County. It’s held the weekend after Labour Day at the fairgrounds and community centre right at the corner of Highway 10 and Main Street in Dundalk, giving it an easy-to-find, right-in-town feel that a lot of larger fairgrounds don’t have.
What sets Dundalk apart from a typical small-town fair is the fiddle and dance competition running alongside it. The 67th Canadian Open Square Dancing, Step Dancing, Clogging Competition & Fiddle Contest takes over the inside stage all Saturday — a genuinely long-running, competitive event in its own right, not just background entertainment.
The rest of the weekend covers a lot of ground: antique tractor and truck pulls, junior and 4-H calf shows, a Dundalk Invitational Sheep Show, ATV barrel races, and a Sunday-afternoon demolition derby that closes out the fair. The 2026 theme, “Let the Good Times Grow,” plays out across the exhibit hall’s homecraft, flower, and vegetable classes, all judged and on display throughout the weekend.
It’s also a fair built for families on a budget. Every kids’ activity — the inflatables, pony rides, agriculture learning stations, magic shows, and pedal tractor pull — is included in the price of admission, so a family of four isn’t nickel-and-dimed at every turn the way they might be at a bigger, midway-heavy fair. The exhibit hall stays open both Saturday and Sunday, giving visitors two full chances to wander through the homecraft, quilting, and produce displays without feeling rushed.
🗓️ Weekend Schedule
Exhibit entries begin Thursday evening; the fair proper opens Friday and runs through Sunday afternoon.
Friday, September 11
9:00–11:00am — Exhibit entries accepted
7:00–10:30pm — Exhibit Hall open to the public & Vendor Marketplace
8:00pm — Official opening of the 169th fair, followed by the Ambassador Competition with a live dessert auction
7:00–10:30pm — Exhibit Hall open to the public & Vendor Marketplace
8:00pm — Official opening of the 169th fair, followed by the Ambassador Competition with a live dessert auction
Saturday, September 12
8:00am — Grounds open for livestock
9:00am–4:00pm — Exhibit Hall & Vendor Marketplace open
9:30am — Antique Tractor Pull, followed by Truck Pull
10:00am — 67th Canadian Open Square Dancing, Step Dancing, Clogging & Fiddle Contest; Pet Show
10:00am–4:00pm — Agriculture Education & Kids’ Activities; Ontario Inflatables & Pony Rides
11:00am — Tyler Boyle Groove Dancing; Junior Calf Club Show followed by 4-H Dairy & Beef Show
12:30 & 2:00pm — BenTastic Magic Show
3:00pm — Pedal Tractor Pull
4:30pm — BenTastic Magic Show (encore)
9:00am–4:00pm — Exhibit Hall & Vendor Marketplace open
9:30am — Antique Tractor Pull, followed by Truck Pull
10:00am — 67th Canadian Open Square Dancing, Step Dancing, Clogging & Fiddle Contest; Pet Show
10:00am–4:00pm — Agriculture Education & Kids’ Activities; Ontario Inflatables & Pony Rides
11:00am — Tyler Boyle Groove Dancing; Junior Calf Club Show followed by 4-H Dairy & Beef Show
12:30 & 2:00pm — BenTastic Magic Show
3:00pm — Pedal Tractor Pull
4:30pm — BenTastic Magic Show (encore)
Sunday, September 13
8:00am — Grounds open for livestock
9:00am–3:00pm — Exhibit Hall & Vendor Marketplace open
10:00am — Dundalk Little Invitational; Baby/Dolly Show & Chip Off The Old Block registration
10:00am–4:00pm — Agriculture Education & Kids’ Activities; Ontario Inflatables
10:30am — Baby Show, Dolly Show & Chip Off The Old Block
11:00am & 1:00pm — BarryO Kidshow
12:00pm — Dundalk Invitational Sheep Show; 4-H Invitational Calf Show
1:00pm — Garden Tractor Races
2:00pm — ATV Barrel Races
2:30pm — Demolition Derby & Kids’ Bike Draw
3:00pm — Exhibit Hall closes
9:00am–3:00pm — Exhibit Hall & Vendor Marketplace open
10:00am — Dundalk Little Invitational; Baby/Dolly Show & Chip Off The Old Block registration
10:00am–4:00pm — Agriculture Education & Kids’ Activities; Ontario Inflatables
10:30am — Baby Show, Dolly Show & Chip Off The Old Block
11:00am & 1:00pm — BarryO Kidshow
12:00pm — Dundalk Invitational Sheep Show; 4-H Invitational Calf Show
1:00pm — Garden Tractor Races
2:00pm — ATV Barrel Races
2:30pm — Demolition Derby & Kids’ Bike Draw
3:00pm — Exhibit Hall closes
📋 The Essentials
🎟️ Admission
Friday evening $5, Saturday $10, Sunday $10, students $2, children 12 & under free. A weekend pass covering all three days is $20.
🎻 Fiddle Contest
The 67th Canadian Open Square Dancing, Step Dancing, Clogging & Fiddle Contest runs Saturday inside the arena stage. More info at dundalkdance.com.
👨👩👧 Best For
Families, fiddle and step-dance fans, agricultural fair regulars, and anyone who wants to see a demolition derby cap off the weekend.
🎪 What to Expect Around the Grounds
A sample of the recurring attractions across the arena, quonset building, and outdoor track:
BenTastic Magic Show
BarryO Kidshow
Ontario Inflatables & Pony Rides
Agriculture Education Station
Escape Room
Pedal Tractor Pull
Fair Ambassador Competition
Dessert Auction
🚗 Getting There & Parking
The Dundalk Fairgrounds and Community Centre sit right at the corner of Highway 10 and Main Street in Dundalk, part of the Municipality of Southgate in Grey County.
From Owen Sound or Orangeville: Highway 10 runs directly through Dundalk, making the fairgrounds easy to find from either direction.
📍 Get Directions to the Fairgrounds
💡 A Few Things Worth Knowing Before You Go
🎫 Buy the weekend pass if you’re staying all three days. At $20, it beats paying $5+$10+$10 separately.
🎻 Come Saturday for the fiddle contest. The 67th Canadian Open runs all day inside the arena stage and is one of the fair’s longest-standing traditions.
💥 Get there early Sunday for the derby. The 2:30 PM Demolition Derby is the closing highlight and draws a big crowd to the track.
👧 Bring the kids without worrying about extra cost. Inflatables, agriculture education, pony rides, and the magic shows are all free once you’re in the gate.
📖 Check the Fair Book for exhibitor rules. If you’re entering homecraft, produce, or livestock classes, the official 2026 Fair Book has the full section and prize breakdown.
❓ Common Questions
Details may change — always confirm on the official Dundalk Fall Fair website before heading out.
Location
Get DirectionsDundalk Fairgrounds and Community Centre, 590 Main Street East, Dundalk, ON, N0C 1B0
