New Hamburg Fall Fair 2026: Four Days, Two Derbies
Draft horses, Toilet Seat Races, and a Wilmot Township harvest tradition
Dates
Sep 17–20
Cost
$2–$10
Where
New Hamburg, ON
Kids 4 & under
Always free
The Wilmot Agricultural Society runs two full demolition derbies in one weekend – a 4-cylinder derby Saturday night and an 8-cylinder derby Sunday afternoon – alongside draft horse pulls, 4-H shows, and a genuinely deep kids’ program.
🐴 Draft Horse Pull
💥 Two demolition derbies
🧻 Toilet Seat Races
🐐 Barnyard Children’s Area
💡 Saturday’s Hot Chicken Wing Eating Competition at 4 PM is a fundraiser for Terry Fox – a nice reason to catch it even if you’re not planning to compete.
✨ Why This Fair Is Worth the Trip
Run by the Wilmot Agricultural Society, the New Hamburg Fall Fair has a rhythm to it that’s a little different from other Ontario fall fairs – it opens quietly on Thursday with a $2 gate and a Draft Horse Pull, builds through Friday’s opening ceremonies and Ambassador Program, then goes all-in on Saturday and Sunday with back-to-back demolition derbies, one built for 4-cylinder cars and the other for 8-cylinder cars, on consecutive days.
What stands out most is how much genuinely offbeat programming gets packed into the weekend alongside the expected 4-H and home craft competitions. A Baby Show, a Spelling Bee, a Stuffed Pet Show called “A Barn Good Time,” a Hot Chicken Wing Eating Competition that doubles as a Terry Fox fundraiser, and not one but two rounds of Toilet Seat Races at the Grandstand – it’s the kind of lineup that rewards showing up for the full weekend rather than just picking one day.
Underneath the novelty events, the fair still runs a serious agricultural program: the Waterloo 4-H Beef Show, an Open 4-H Dairy Show, a Light Horse and Pony Show, and a full Draft Horse Show all take place in the infield on Saturday, giving the weekend real substance alongside the spectacle.
📅 Fair Schedule
Four days from opening gate to Monday teardown – here’s the day-by-day breakdown straight from the official schedule (subject to change for weather).
Thursday, September 17 · Grounds 6–9 PM
4:00 PM — Home Craft registration & drop-off (Arena)
7:00 PM — Draft Horse Pull and Log Pulling (Grandstand)
7:00 PM — Draft Horse Pull and Log Pulling (Grandstand)
Friday, September 18 · Grounds 5–11 PM
5:00 PM — Midway opens
6:45 PM — Opening Ceremonies, Citizen of the Year, Ambassador Program, and New Hamburg Concert Band performance (Arena)
6:45 PM — Opening Ceremonies, Citizen of the Year, Ambassador Program, and New Hamburg Concert Band performance (Arena)
Saturday, September 19 · Grounds 8 AM–11 PM
9:00 AM — Home Craft Exhibits open, Baby Show
10:00 AM — Jr. Pet Show, Draft Horse Show, Ice Princesses
10:30 AM — Light Horse and Pony Show, Waterloo 4-H Beef Show
11:00 AM — Rescue Pups (Barnyard Children’s Area)
11:30 AM — Spelling Bee
12:00 PM — Stuffed Pet Show, Tiny Farmer Cattle Show
12:30 PM — Open 4-H Dairy Show & Open 4-H Beef Show
1:30 PM — Centre Stage Dance Studio performance
4:00 PM — Hot Chicken Wing Eating Competition (Terry Fox fundraiser)
6:00 PM — Farmer’s Walk (Grandstand)
7:00 PM — Demolition Derby – 4 cylinder (Grandstand)
~9:00 PM — Toilet Seat Races (Grandstand)
10:00 AM — Jr. Pet Show, Draft Horse Show, Ice Princesses
10:30 AM — Light Horse and Pony Show, Waterloo 4-H Beef Show
11:00 AM — Rescue Pups (Barnyard Children’s Area)
11:30 AM — Spelling Bee
12:00 PM — Stuffed Pet Show, Tiny Farmer Cattle Show
12:30 PM — Open 4-H Dairy Show & Open 4-H Beef Show
1:30 PM — Centre Stage Dance Studio performance
4:00 PM — Hot Chicken Wing Eating Competition (Terry Fox fundraiser)
6:00 PM — Farmer’s Walk (Grandstand)
7:00 PM — Demolition Derby – 4 cylinder (Grandstand)
~9:00 PM — Toilet Seat Races (Grandstand)
Sunday, September 20 · Grounds 12–5 PM
9:30 AM — Church Service (Arena)
12:00 PM — Midway opens; Erick Traplin, Spidey & Friends (Barnyard Children’s Area)
2:00 PM — Demolition Derby – 8 cylinder (Grandstand)
~4:00 PM — Toilet Seat Races (Grandstand)
12:00 PM — Midway opens; Erick Traplin, Spidey & Friends (Barnyard Children’s Area)
2:00 PM — Demolition Derby – 8 cylinder (Grandstand)
~4:00 PM — Toilet Seat Races (Grandstand)
🎟️ Essentials
Thursday Admission
$2 flat, grounds open 6-9 PM, exhibit drop-off only in the Arena.
Friday Admission
$5 for adults and children over 12. Free for children 12 and under. Grounds open 5-11 PM.
Weekend Admission
Saturday and Sunday are $10 for adults, $5 for children 12 and under. Kids 4 and under are always free.
Midway Hours
Opens 5 PM Friday, 11 AM Saturday, and noon Sunday – separate from general gate hours.
Best For
Families, demolition derby fans, 4-H and draft horse enthusiasts, anyone who enjoys a bit of small-town silliness alongside the tradition.
🧸 For Kids: The Barnyard Children’s Area
The Barnyard Children’s Area runs its own mini-schedule across the weekend, separate from the main Grandstand and Arena events, and it’s worth building your visit around if you’ve got young kids in tow.
❄️ Ice Princesses
🐕 Rescue Pups
🕷️ Erick Traplin, Spidey & Friends
🐾 Jr. Pet Show
🧸 Stuffed Pet Show
🐮 Tiny Farmer Cattle Show
Ice Princesses appears twice on Saturday (10 AM and noon), Rescue Pups runs at 11 AM Saturday, and Erick Traplin brings his Spidey & Friends show to the Barnyard Children’s Area at noon on Sunday – a nice anchor if you’re planning a Sunday visit around the 2 PM demolition derby.
🚗 Getting There & Parking
The New Hamburg Fairgrounds sit on Jacob Street in Wilmot Township, a short drive from Kitchener-Waterloo and easily reached via Highway 7/8. The fairgrounds are a dedicated event venue that hosts the fair every September, so signage and access routes are well established.
Address: 251 Jacob Street, New Hamburg, ON N3A 1G6
📍 Get Directions to New Hamburg Fairgrounds
💡 A Few Things Worth Knowing Before You Go
🍳 No onsite breakfast on Saturday. The official schedule notes this has been discontinued – plan to eat before you arrive or wait for the food vendors to open with the grounds at 8 AM.
🚗 Pick your derby day. The 4-cylinder derby runs Saturday evening, the 8-cylinder derby runs Sunday afternoon – if you only want to catch one, the Sunday show tends to be shorter and easier on a family schedule since gates close at 5 PM.
🐴 Come Thursday for a quieter, cheaper visit. At $2 admission with the Draft Horse Pull as the headline event, it’s a low-key way to see the grounds before the weekend rush.
🍗 Support the Hot Chicken Wing Eating Competition. It’s a genuine Terry Fox fundraiser running Saturday at 4 PM in the Arena – worth stopping by even if you’re not entering.
🎡 Note that midway hours differ from gate hours. The grounds open before the midway does each day, so if rides are the priority, time your arrival to when the midway actually opens rather than the general gate time.
❓ Common Questions
Details may change — always confirm on the official New Hamburg Fall Fair website before heading out.
Location
Get DirectionsNew Hamburg Fairgrounds, 251 Jacob Street, New Hamburg, ON, N3A 1G6
