Owen Sound Fall Fair 2026: 174 Years and Counting

Grey County’s oldest agricultural tradition returns to Victoria Park

📍 Get Directions Full Schedule

Three days of truck and tractor pulls, a demolition derby, the Grey County 4-H Showdown, homecraft and quilt exhibits, and a midway — a fair that’s been running since 1852 and still feels like the heart of Grey County agriculture.

💥 Demolition derby 🎡 Midway 🐄 4-H Showdown 🍦 Pie eating contest

💡 Early bird tickets ran through August 15 — regular day passes and the 3-day weekend pass are still the best value if you’re planning to catch more than one event.

Why Go Schedule Essentials For Kids Getting There Tips FAQ

✨ Why Owen Sound’s Fair Has Lasted 174 Years

The Owen Sound Agricultural Society has been putting this fair on since 1852, which makes it one of the oldest continuously running fairs in the region. That kind of longevity isn’t an accident — the fair has kept its agricultural core intact (livestock shows, homecraft competitions, the Grey County 4-H program) while steadily adding the kind of programming that keeps a broader crowd coming back year after year.

This is a genuinely full weekend. You’ve got truck and tractor pulls on the track two nights running, a Saturday night demolition derby that’s become the fair’s signature closer, and the Grey County 4-H Showdown spread across beef, sheep, dairy, and poultry shows in the barn. Add a proper midway from Family Time Amusements, a licensed beer garden in the Entertainment Tent, and the Bluewater Quilter’s Guild exhibition alongside the Homecraft Competition, and you’ve got a fair that rewards spending the whole weekend rather than just an afternoon.

Victoria Park itself, right next to the Julie McArthur Regional Recreation Centre, is an easy, central location if you’re coming from anywhere in Grey or Bruce County, and it’s a straightforward day trip from as far as the southern Georgian Bay shoreline or even the GTA.

📅 Full Schedule

Three days, three very different rhythms — Thursday’s a soft opening, Friday builds through the afternoon into truck pulls, and Saturday is the marquee day with the demolition derby closing things out.

📋 Essentials

👨‍👩‍👧 For the Kids

Saturday’s the big day for younger visitors, with the Kids Pedal Tractor Pull in the Julie McArthur Arena and Old MacDonald’s Farm giving little ones a hands-on animal experience. The Baby Show, ice cream and pie eating contests, and a rotating slate of inflatables and games round things out — a few of which do require a small extra payment on top of gate admission.

If you’re planning around nap schedules, mid-morning through early afternoon on Saturday is the sweet spot for kid-focused programming before the evening crowd builds for the demolition derby.

🚗 Getting There & Parking

Victoria Park sits at 700 10th Street East in Owen Sound, right beside the Julie McArthur Regional Recreation Centre. Parking within the fairgrounds themselves is genuinely limited, so plan for a short walk.

General visitors: Park in the YMCA parking lot or the grass lot west of the Ministry of Natural Resources yard, then walk in to the fair gates.

Trucks, tractors & livestock: Enter through the Ministry of Natural Resources yard off 7th Avenue East (1450 7th Ave E). Livestock trailers park on the grass south of the cattle barn and around the west side of the track; pull participants park near the east end of the track. Never park on the infield.

💡 A Few Things Worth Knowing Before You Go

🐕 Leave the dog at home. With livestock throughout the grounds, pets aren’t permitted for everyone’s safety.

🎟️ Get your tickets early if you can. The Society ran early bird pricing through mid-August; missing that window still leaves day, family, and 3-day weekend passes available online through Front Door+.

🚗 Plan for a walk from parking. On-site parking is extremely limited — build in extra time to park at the YMCA lot and walk in, especially Saturday evening before the derby.

💥 Arrive early for the demolition derby. It’s the fair’s marquee event on Saturday night at 7pm — grandstand seating fills up, so get there ahead of time if you want a good view.

❓ Common Questions