Spencerville Fair 2026: Harvest the Fun

The 171st edition brings the Snowbirds, live music, and four days of Eastern Ontario tradition

📍 Get Directions Full Schedule

A rare Canadian Forces Snowbirds low-show, a Robertson Amusements midway, the Entertainment Tent headlined by Tim & The Glory Boys, an Extreme Dogs Stunt Show, and the full agricultural fair program — “The Biggest-Little Fair in Eastern Ontario” for 171 years running.

✈️ Snowbirds flyover 🎡 Midway 🎤 Live entertainment tent 🐕 Extreme Dogs Stunt Show

💡 The Snowbirds’ Spencerville flyover is part of their historic final season flying the CT-114 Tutor jet — a genuinely rare thing to catch over a small-town fair.

Why Go Highlights Essentials Camping Getting There Tips FAQ

✨ Why This Fair Is Worth the Drive

Spencerville has earned its nickname, “The Biggest-Little Fair in Eastern Ontario,” honestly. The Spencerville Agricultural Society traces back to 1855, and 2026 marks the 171st fair — a genuinely rare run of continuous history for a small-town event. What makes this year especially notable is the scheduled appearance of the Canadian Forces Snowbirds, performing a low-show flyover during their historic final season flying the iconic CT-114 Tutor jet. That’s a genuinely significant booking for a fair this size, and worth planning your visit around if you can.

Beyond the flyover, this year’s theme “Harvest the Fun” plays out across a packed schedule: the Robertson Amusements midway, an Extreme Dogs Stunt Show, live magic and swordfighting, pony rides, a petting zoo, chainsaw carving, and the Entertainment Tent headlined Saturday night by Tim & The Glory Boys. The core agricultural programming — 4-H, cattle, dairy goat, sheep, and poultry shows, a heavy and light horse show, and the Barn of Learning — keeps the fair’s original purpose front and centre even with all the added entertainment.

Spencerville sits about 30 minutes from Ottawa in the Township of Edwardsburgh/Cardinal, making it an easy day trip or weekend outing for the whole National Capital Region. Past attendees consistently describe the atmosphere as welcoming and community-driven — a fair where the horse shows, exhibit halls, and food vendors all get equal billing rather than any one attraction dominating the weekend.

🎪 Weekend Highlights

Each day of the fair leans into something a little different — worth knowing before you pick which day (or days) to attend.

📋 Essentials

⛺ Rough Camping On-Site

Spencerville is one of the few Ontario fall fairs that offers on-site rough camping, making it a genuine weekend destination rather than just a day trip. A Rough Camping Pass runs $120 and includes one camping pass plus two weekend armbands. The Rough Camping+ upgrade at $180 adds two Friday and two Saturday night Entertainment Tent tickets on top of the camping and armbands — sold in advance only, through early September.

If you’re planning to catch both the Saturday night concert and Sunday’s Snowbirds performance, camping on-site removes the need for a second drive out from Ottawa or elsewhere in Eastern Ontario. It also means you’re on the grounds early enough to grab a good vantage point for the flyover without racing through traffic that morning.

🚗 Getting There & Parking

The Spencerville Fairgrounds sit at 22 Ryan Street, in the village of Spencerville within the Township of Edwardsburgh/Cardinal. The grounds themselves house a grandstand, race track, several show barns, and a large community building, all within easy walking distance of one another once you’re parked.

From Ottawa: Highway 416 south connects directly toward Spencerville, roughly a 30-40 minute drive from the city.

Parking: The fairgrounds include ample lots that reviewers describe as well-maintained, with the community building and grandstand right on-site.

💡 A Few Things Worth Knowing Before You Go

✈️ Plan Sunday around the Snowbirds. This is a genuinely rare booking for a small-town fair — check the fair’s social channels closer to the date for the exact performance window.

🎟️ Buy your weekend armband online before September 9. It’s $30 advance versus $35 at the gate — an easy saving if you’re staying multiple days.

🎠 Check ride height requirements before buying bracelets for younger kids. Past attendees note some kids fall in a gap where they’re too tall for junior rides but too short for others.

⛺ Consider rough camping if you want the full weekend. With the Saturday night concert and Sunday’s Snowbirds show both worth staying for, on-site camping saves a second drive.

❓ Common Questions