Of the 94 events on the 2026 calendar, 54 are agricultural fairs, and almost all of them ran between the first week of July and Labor Day week. Five opened on July 21 and five more on August 4.
Six are named as youth, junior, or 4-H fairs. Fifteen list a ride midway. The other thirty-nine do not list rides.
Western New York: three fairs overlapped July 21 to 25
The Genesee County Fair in Batavia opened the region, July 18 to 25. The Allegany County Fair in Angelica followed July 20 to 25, and the Chautauqua County Fair in Dunkirk July 21 to 26, so the third week of July carried three at once across the western tier.
The Orleans County 4-H Fair in Albion ran July 27 to August 1, and the Niagara County Fair in Lockport was listed for July 29 to August 2, a date that was not confirmed. In August, Cattaraugus in Little Valley ran August 1 to 8, and The Erie County Fair in Hamburg was listed for twelve days, August 12 to 23, an unconfirmed date. Wyoming County in Pike ran August 15 to 22, and the Genesee Valley Breeders Association Annual Horse Fair in West Falls was a horse show listed for August 15 and 16, also unconfirmed.
Finger Lakes: from Yates on July 8 to Steuben on August 17
The Yates County Fair in Penn Yan was first, July 8 to 11. It was established in 1839, and ride wristbands were listed at $25 to $30 depending on day and time. The Seneca County Fair in Waterloo ran July 15 to 18 and was established in 1841. Admission to the fairgrounds was free, and parking was paid.
July 21 to 25 carried two Finger Lakes fairs at once, the Ontario County Fair in Canandaigua and the Hemlock Little World's Fair in Livingston County, though the Ontario County date was unconfirmed. The Chemung County Fair in Horseheads took August 4 to 8, The Wayne County Fair in Palmyra August 10 to 16, and the Steuben County Fair in Bath August 17 to 23.
Central New York: Oswego on July 1, the State Fair on August 26
The Oswego County Fair in Sandy Creek was the first in the region, listed for July 1 to 5, though that date was unconfirmed. The Cortland County Junior Fair followed July 7 to 11, with a ride midway (wristbands were listed at $30). Madison County in Brookfield was listed for July 22 to 26, and the Boonville Oneida County Fair and Broome County Fair both for July 28, all three unconfirmed.
August 4 brought Otsego in Morris and Tioga in Owego on the same day, with the Tioga date unconfirmed. In Chenango County, the Afton Fair opened August 11 and the Chenango County Fair in Norwich August 12, so the two overlapped for four days. August 18 to 23 carried Herkimer in Frankfort, and the Trumansburg Fair in Tompkins County ran August 25 to 30.
The Great New York State Fair took Syracuse from August 26 to September 7, thirteen days, one more than the Erie County Fair.
North Country: six fairs, July into mid August
The Clinton County Fair in Morrisonville opened the region July 13 to 18, with the Jefferson County Fair in Watertown overlapping it almost exactly, July 14 to 19. The Lewis County Fair in Lowville was listed for July 21 to 25, an unconfirmed date, and the Essex County Fair in Westport took July 29 to August 2.
The Gouverneur & St. Lawrence County Fair ran August 4 to 9. The Franklin County Fair in Malone closed the region August 8 to 16, nine days, the longest of the six. None of the six listed a ride midway.
Capital-Saratoga: seven fairs, two on Labor Day week
The Saratoga County Fair in Ballston Spa ran July 21 to 26. The Warren County Youth Fair in Warrensburg was listed for August 1, a date that was not confirmed.
The Schoharie County Sunshine Fair in Cobleskill was listed for August 11 to 16 and the Altamont Fair for August 18 to 23, both unconfirmed, and The Washington County Fair in Greenwich took August 24 to 30. Then Labor Day week: The Fonda Fair in Montgomery County and the Schaghticoke Fair in Rensselaer County both ran September 2 to 7, alongside the Columbia County Fair in the Hudson Valley.
Hudson Valley, Catskills, and Long Island
The Hudson Valley sequence ran Orange in Middletown, July 23 to August 2, Ulster in New Paltz, August 4 to 9, the Grahamsville Little World's Fair in Sullivan County, August 14 to 16, Delaware in Walton, August 17 to 22, and Dutchess in Rhinebeck, August 25 to 30, with the Delaware and Dutchess dates unconfirmed. Columbia County in Chatham closed it September 2 to 7.
Downstate, The Long Island Fair in Old Bethpage ran September 25 to 27 as a recreated 19th-century fair at Old Bethpage Village Restoration. The Queens Agricultural Fair in Floral Park followed October 3 to 4 at the Queens County Farm Museum, with corn husking contests, hayrides, and carnival rides.
The six youth and 4-H fairs
Six fairs are named as youth, junior, or 4-H fairs. The Cortland County Junior Fair ran July 7 to 11. The Greene County Youth Fair in Cairo was listed for July 23 to 26, not confirmed. The Orange County 4-H Youth Fair in Otisville had an unconfirmed July 24 to 26 date, inside the main Orange County fair's window. Putnam County Fair and 4-H Showcase in Carmel was free to enter and listed for July 25 to 26, also unconfirmed. The Orleans County 4-H Fair in Albion ran July 27 to August 1, and The Warren County Youth Fair was listed for August 1, also unconfirmed.
Five of the six fell inside a ten-day span, July 23 to August 1. The sixth, Cortland County's, came earlier, July 7 to 11.
Which fairs list a ride midway
Fifteen agricultural entries list rides: the Great New York State Fair, Erie, Dutchess, Orange, Washington, Altamont, Saratoga, Schaghticoke, Columbia, Fonda, Ulster, Afton, Cortland County Junior, Yates, and the Queens Agricultural Fair.
The other thirty-nine list animals and competitions without rides. A fair with no rides listed may still have a carnival.
Dates shift from year to year
County fair dates shift from year to year because many follow a weekday pattern, not fixed calendar dates. Treat every date on this page as the 2026 window.
