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Upcoming festivals in Harriston →Harriston-Minto Fall Fair 2026: 167 Years of Harvest Wishes
A third-weekend-of-September tradition in Harriston since 1859
Dates
Sep 18–20
Cost
$5–$20
Where
Harriston, ON
Kids
Free 12 & under
Three days of small-town fall fair tradition in downtown Harriston — a Saturday parade, a Sunday soap box derby down Main Street, a horse pull, live music, and an exhibit hall packed with more than a century and a half of local competition.
🎪 Parade Saturday noon
🛞 Soap box derby
🐎 Horse pull
👨👩👧 Children’s Village
💡 Membership cards get you into Friday’s opening night for free — worth picking one up if you’re planning to come back Saturday or Sunday too.
✨ Why This Fair Is Worth the Drive
There aren’t many events left that can trace an unbroken line back to 1859, but the Harriston-Minto Agricultural Society can. Its fair started as the reason the Society exists at all, and 167 years later it’s still the biggest weekend on the calendar for this corner of Wellington County — the kind of homecoming that pulls university students and expats back to Harriston every third weekend of September.
The 2026 edition runs under the theme “Harvest Wishes & Pumpkin Kisses,” and the fairgrounds on George Street fill with everything a small-town fair should have: a light horse show and horse pull at the Grand Stands, a chainsaw carving exhibit, live music on the arena floor, and an exhibit hall stacked with baking, crafts, and produce entries judged the old-fashioned way.
What sets Harriston-Minto apart is how much of the weekend spills into the town itself. Saturday’s parade runs right through downtown at noon, and Sunday morning’s Soap Box Derby takes over Main Street at the lights before the fair even opens its gates for the day. It’s as much a community reunion as it is a fair.
📋 Fair Weekend Schedule
Exhibit Hall hours: Friday 6–10 PM, Saturday 10 AM–6 PM, Sunday 10 AM–7 PM (exhibits close at 3 PM Sunday for pickup).
Friday, September 18
6:00 PM — Exhibit Hall, Fairground & Children’s Village open
6:00–8:00 PM — Live music with Ella and Ivy, Arena Floor
8:00 PM — Opening Ceremonies & Pork and Pie Auction, Ice Surface
10:00 PM — Grounds close
6:00–8:00 PM — Live music with Ella and Ivy, Arena Floor
8:00 PM — Opening Ceremonies & Pork and Pie Auction, Ice Surface
10:00 PM — Grounds close
Saturday, September 19
9:00 AM — Light Horse Show, Grand Stands
9:30 AM — Chainsaw Carving exhibit, outside the arena
10:00 AM — Exhibit Hall & Fairground open
10:30 AM — Baby Show (Auditorium) & Children’s Village opens (Ball Diamond)
12:00 PM — Agriculture Awareness/Petting Zoo opens; Parade along the designated route
1:00 PM — Live music with Chuck the Ukulele Guy
2:00 PM — Horse Pull (Grand Stands) & Dog Show (Ball Diamond)
3:00 PM — Bubble Foam Party, outside arena SE side
9:30 AM — Chainsaw Carving exhibit, outside the arena
10:00 AM — Exhibit Hall & Fairground open
10:30 AM — Baby Show (Auditorium) & Children’s Village opens (Ball Diamond)
12:00 PM — Agriculture Awareness/Petting Zoo opens; Parade along the designated route
1:00 PM — Live music with Chuck the Ukulele Guy
2:00 PM — Horse Pull (Grand Stands) & Dog Show (Ball Diamond)
3:00 PM — Bubble Foam Party, outside arena SE side
Sunday, September 20
8:00 AM — Breakfast at the Fair, Auditorium
9:00 AM — Soap Box Derby, Main Street at the lights
10:00 AM — Exhibit Hall & Fairground open; Car Show; Petting Zoo opens
10:30 AM — Church Service, Auditorium
11:00 AM — R&R Pet Paradise, Ball Diamond
12:00 PM — Pedal Tractor Pull, SE side of arena
1:00 PM — Cattle Show & R&R Pet Paradise
2:30 PM — Lawnmower Races, Grand Stands
3:00 PM — Exhibit Hall closes
4:30 PM — Beef & Pork BBQ, Auditorium
6:00 PM — Silent Auction ends
9:00 AM — Soap Box Derby, Main Street at the lights
10:00 AM — Exhibit Hall & Fairground open; Car Show; Petting Zoo opens
10:30 AM — Church Service, Auditorium
11:00 AM — R&R Pet Paradise, Ball Diamond
12:00 PM — Pedal Tractor Pull, SE side of arena
1:00 PM — Cattle Show & R&R Pet Paradise
2:30 PM — Lawnmower Races, Grand Stands
3:00 PM — Exhibit Hall closes
4:30 PM — Beef & Pork BBQ, Auditorium
6:00 PM — Silent Auction ends
📌 Essentials
🎟️ Admission Breakdown
Friday: $5 or membership card · Saturday: $5 · Sunday: $10 · Weekend Pass: $20 (all age 13+). Children 12 and under are free every day.
👨👩👧 Family Programming
Children’s Village on the Ball Diamond runs all weekend, alongside a petting zoo in the Back Barn, a Saturday Bubble Foam Party, and a Sunday Pedal Tractor Pull.
📝 Exhibiting
The 2026 Fairbook is posted online and entries can be submitted through AssistExpo. Exhibits must be picked up between 3:30 and 4:30 PM on Sunday.
🎯 Best For
Multi-generational families, agricultural exhibitors, small-town fair traditionalists, and anyone who grew up in Minto and comes home for it every fall.
🏛️ A Fair Since 1859
The Harriston-Minto Agricultural Society formed in 1859 specifically to run this fair, making 2026 its 167th consecutive year. The Society is governed by a Board of 18 Directors and a six-person executive, drawn almost entirely from the people who exhibit at the fair each year.
Beyond fair weekend, the Society funds a bursary program for local students, backs 4-H and Wellington County Junior Farmers programming, and supports groups like the Minto Food Bank, the Horticultural Society, and Norwell District Secondary School’s Relay for Life. A share of gate proceeds goes back to the Town of Minto, and the annual Share the Wealth draw has historically supported the Palmerston & District Hospital Foundation.
🚗 Getting There
The fairgrounds sit at 111 George Street in Harriston, part of the Town of Minto in Wellington County, just off Highway 9. Downtown Harriston is a short walk from the grounds, which matters on Saturday when the parade route and Sunday when the Soap Box Derby close off Main Street at the lights.
📍 Get Directions to the Fairgrounds
💡 A Few Things Worth Knowing Before You Go
🎫 Pick up a membership card if you’re coming all weekend. It covers Friday admission outright and can work out cheaper than paying gate prices each day.
🚗 Plan around the road closures. Saturday’s parade route and Sunday’s Soap Box Derby both close sections of downtown Harriston — check the official Facebook page for the exact route before you drive in.
🥧 Don’t miss the Pork & Pie Auction. It kicks off Friday’s Opening Ceremonies at 8 PM on the Ice Surface and is a fair-weekend fixture.
🍳 Get there early Sunday for breakfast. Breakfast at the Fair runs 8 AM in the Auditorium, ahead of the 9 AM Soap Box Derby down the street.
❓ Common Questions
Details may change — always confirm on the official Harriston-Minto Fall Fair website before heading out.
Location
Get DirectionsHarriston-Minto Fair Grounds, 111 George Street, Harriston, ON, N0G 1Z0
