Harrow Fair 2026: Tractors and Tailgates

172 years of Labour Day weekend tradition in Essex County

📍 Get Directions Full Schedule

Four days of livestock shows, a Saturday parade, a legendary pie auction, midway rides, and a different headline act each night — the Harrow Fair has been Essex County’s Labour Day weekend fixture since 1854, and 2026 marks its 172nd edition under the theme “Tractors and Tailgates.”

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family Friendly 🎡 Midway Rides 🎤 Nightly Live Entertainment 🥧 Pie Auction

💡 No pets or dogs allowed on the fairgrounds — leave them home for this one.

Why Go Schedule Entertainment Contests Essentials Getting There Tips FAQ

✨ Why This Fair Has Lasted 172 Years

The Harrow Fair, run by the Colchester South & Harrow Agricultural Society, dates back to 1854 — which makes it one of the oldest continuously running agricultural fairs in Ontario. It’s not a nostalgia act, either. This is still a full four-day working county fair with real livestock competitions, dozens of homecraft and produce classes, and a genuinely packed stage lineup that changes every night.

What makes Harrow stand out from a lot of small-town fairs is the sheer breadth of what’s judged and shown here: cattle, sheep, poultry, and horses in the show ring; needle arts, quilts, baking, canning, and photography in the halls; plus junior and 4-H divisions that keep the next generation involved. Add contest categories that range from a serious lawn tractor race to a genuinely silly rooster crowing contest — for both birds and people — and you get a fair that takes tradition seriously without taking itself too seriously.

The pie auction alone is worth the trip for returning visitors — past editions have raised tens of thousands of dollars for local causes, funded entirely by people bidding on homemade pies at a county fair. That’s the kind of community fundraising that’s kept this fair alive for over a century and a half.

🗓️ Four Days, Full Schedule

The 2026 schedule is fully confirmed, from livestock judging to nightly headline acts. Here’s the day-by-day breakdown.

🎤 Nightly Stage Lineup

Each night of the fair closes with a different headline act on the main stage — a mix that spans acoustic singer-songwriter sets to full country bands.

🎸 Adam Butcher — Thu 🎤 Kelsi Mayne — Fri 🤘 The Road Hammers — Sat 🎶 Dave Wilson — Sun

🏆 Contests, Livestock & Homecraft

Beyond the stage, Harrow’s real depth shows in its judging halls and contest lineup — dozens of adult, junior, and 4-H categories run all weekend, alongside some of the fair’s more offbeat traditions.

🐄 Cattle, Sheep & Poultry Shows 🐴 Horse Exposition 🧵 Needle Arts & Quilts 🥧 Baking & Canning 📸 Photography 🐓 Rooster Crowing (Birds & People) 🚜 Lawn Tractor Races 🚽 Outhouse Races 🧸 Teddy Bear Parade

📋 Essentials at a Glance

🚗 Getting There & Parking

The Harrow Fairgrounds & Pollard Park sits at 243 McAffee Street in the heart of Harrow, within the Municipality of Essex, roughly 40 minutes south of Windsor.

Parking: On-site parking is available around the fairgrounds; expect the busiest windows around Saturday’s 11:30 AM parade and the nightly stage shows starting at 8 PM.

💡 A Few Things Worth Knowing Before You Go

🎟️ Do the math on a weekend pass. At $12/day, three or more days of visiting pays for itself with the $30 weekend package — worth it if you plan to catch more than one night’s entertainment.

🎡 Thursday’s midway bracelet is a one-day deal. The $35 pay-one-price ride bracelet only applies opening day — plan your midway visit for Thursday if unlimited rides matter to your group.

🥧 Get to the Pie Auction early. It’s a beloved Harrow tradition and draws a serious crowd — arrive ahead of the 6 PM Thursday start if you want a good spot.

🚗 Get there before 11:30 AM Saturday for the parade. It draws crowds along the route and is the busiest single moment of the entire fair.

📝 Exhibitors: entry forms have a hard deadline. All forms are due by Saturday, August 29 at 5 PM with no exceptions — get yours in early if you’re entering anything.

❓ Common Questions