Port Hope Fair 2026: Small Towns, Big Hearts

Four days of derby, horses, tractors, and old-fashioned fair tradition since 1831

📍 Get Directions Full Schedule

A demolition derby, a truck and tractor pull, a hunter/jumper horse show, and a classic car show all run across a single weekend at one of Canada’s oldest agricultural fairs – founded in 1831, decades before the CNE.

💥 Demolition derby 🚜 Truck & tractor pull 🐴 Hunter/jumper horse show 🚗 Classic car show

💡 Thursday evening has no gate fee at all – the midway opens free of charge from 6 to 9 PM while exhibitors are dropping off entries. It’s a low-key way to get a first look before the weekend crowds arrive.

Why Go Schedule Motor Events Essentials Getting There Tips FAQ

✨ Why This Fair Is Worth the Trip

The Port Hope & District Agricultural Society traces its roots back to a subscription list circulated among local farmers in late 1830 and a founding meeting held at Bletcher’s Inn in early 1831 – which makes this fair genuinely older than the Canadian National Exhibition. Nearly two centuries later, it’s still run by the same kind of community-minded volunteers, and the 2026 edition leans into that legacy with the theme “Small Towns, Big Hearts.”

What sets Port Hope apart from a lot of Ontario fall fairs is how much motorsport programming gets packed into one weekend. A Friday-night truck and tractor pull, a Saturday demolition derby with no car limit, and a Sunday classic car and vintage tractor show all run at the Agricultural Park within a 72-hour window – so if grandstand-style entertainment is what you’re after, this fair delivers three completely different flavours of it without needing to plan around a single headline night.

Underneath the derby smoke and pulling sleds, though, it’s still very much an agricultural fair at heart. The hunter/jumper horse show fills Saturday morning on the grass arena, beef, dairy, and goat competitions run through the barns, and home-craft, culinary, and horticulture exhibits give the whole event the same small-town texture it’s had since the 1830s.

📅 Fair Schedule

Exhibitor registration starts Tuesday, but the fair itself opens to the public Thursday evening and runs through Sunday. Here’s the day-by-day breakdown.

🏁 Motor Events Deep Dive

Port Hope runs four distinct motor events across the weekend, each with its own entry rules and admission – here’s what to know if you’re competing or just want to watch.

🎟️ Essentials

🚗 Getting There & Parking

The Port Hope Agricultural Park sits just off McCaul Street, a few minutes from downtown Port Hope and easily reached from Highway 401. If you’re trailering in a horse for the Saturday show or entering a vehicle for the Sunday car show, note the specific gate instructions below – they matter.

Horse trailers: Do not enter from McCaul Street. All trailers must enter via Francis Street.

Classic Car Show entrants: Registration and vehicle entry is through the Francis Street gate booth in the South Field.

Address: 62 McCaul Street, Port Hope, ON L1A 1L2

💡 A Few Things Worth Knowing Before You Go

💳 Bring a card – there’s no cashback at the gate. Credit and debit are accepted for admission, but you won’t get cash back, so plan any cash needs (food trucks, games) before you arrive.

🎟️ Buy your midway pass early if you want to save. The $35 advance ride pass is only sold until Wednesday, September 16 at local grocery, pharmacy, and bank branches – after that it jumps to $45 at the gate.

🌙 Check out Thursday evening if you want a quieter first look. There’s no gate fee and the midway runs 6 to 9 PM while exhibitors are still setting up – a good option if the weekend crowds aren’t your thing.

🚗 Get there early Saturday for the demolition derby. With no car limit on entries and pits opening at 3 PM for a 7 PM start, this is typically the fair’s busiest single event.

🏇 Free admission for horse show competitors. If you’re entered in the hunter/jumper show, you get in free – everyone else pays regular gate admission on Saturday.

❓ Common Questions