- September 21, 2026
- 10:50 am
Six Days Of Rides, Livestock, Agricultural Exhibits, Fair Food, Entertainment And Fireworks Return To The Davidson County Fairgrounds
One of Davidson County’s longest-running fall traditions returns today as the 2026 Davidson County Agricultural Fair opens Monday, September 21, for a six-day run in Lexington.
The fair continues through Saturday, September 26, at the Davidson County Fairgrounds at 400 Greensboro Street Extension.
N.C. Cooperative Extension confirms the September 21-26 dates and is directing exhibitors and visitors to the 2026 Davidson County Fair Book, preregistration information and horse-show materials.
The official fair website also identifies the event as the Davidson County Ag Fair 2026 and confirms that it is sponsored by the Lexington Kiwanis Club.
For six nights, the fairgrounds will combine the midway atmosphere most visitors expect with the agricultural competitions and exhibits that remain at the heart of the event.
Visitors can expect carnival rides and games, livestock, agricultural and horticultural displays, locally prepared food, commercial and educational exhibits, entertainment and fireworks.
2026 FAIR HOURS
Current 2026 event listings updated in September show the following public operating hours:
| Day | Date | Fair Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Sept. 21 | 4 p.m.-10:30 p.m. |
| Tuesday | Sept. 22 | 4 p.m.-10:30 p.m. |
| Wednesday | Sept. 23 | 4 p.m.-10:30 p.m. |
| Thursday | Sept. 24 | 9 a.m.-10:30 p.m. |
| Friday | Sept. 25 | 4 p.m.-10:30 p.m. |
| Saturday | Sept. 26 | 9:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m. |
The current listing shows general admission at $6.
The earlier version of this article listed Saturday as opening at 10 a.m. The updated 2026 event information instead lists a 9:30 a.m. Saturday gate opening. The 10 a.m. time used in previous fair programs referred to the opening of midway rides rather than the public gate.
WHAT ABOUT RIDE WRISTBAND PRICES?
This is one area where visitors should pay close attention.
The Davidson County Fair’s current 2026 website links to a Fair Book containing the year’s full program, and N.C. Cooperative Extension is also directing visitors to that book. However, the complete 2026 daily wristband schedule is not consistently being exposed through publicly searchable versions of the document.
Because of that, DC Alive is not treating the 2025 wristband schedule as confirmed 2026 pricing.
Recent official Davidson County Fair programs have followed this pricing structure:
- Monday: $15 ride wristband
- Tuesday: $16
- Wednesday: $20
- Thursday: $20
- Friday: regular/no-discount pricing
- Saturday: $15 limited-time ride special or $25 all-day option
Those were published prices in the most recent official fair program available for direct verification, but visitors should confirm the 2026 ride prices at the ticket booth or through the current Fair Book before purchasing.
That distinction matters because ride admission is separate from the general entrance fee.
$6 GENERAL ADMISSION
Current 2026 event information lists fair admission at $6 per person.
Recent official Davidson County Fair programs have also allowed children under age 5 to enter free, although visitors with young children may want to confirm that policy at the gate because the searchable 2026 listing publishes the $6 admission price without separately displaying the children’s exemption.
Food, carnival games, midway rides and other purchases are additional.
REITHOFFER SHOWS RETURNS WITH THE MIDWAY
The midway is being operated by Reithoffer Shows, one of the country’s longstanding traveling carnival companies.
Reithoffer’s current 2026 schedule specifically lists the Davidson County Fair in Lexington from September 21 through September 26.
The company is bringing its Orange Unit to Lexington.
That means the fairgrounds will once again feature a mix of larger thrill rides, family rides, children’s attractions and midway games.
The exact lineup can vary by fair because individual rides move among Reithoffer events and can be affected by equipment availability, weather and setup requirements.
IT IS STILL AN AGRICULTURAL FAIR
The midway may attract the brightest lights and biggest nighttime crowds, but agriculture remains central to the Davidson County event.
Recent official fair programs have included exhibits involving:
- Dairy cattle
- Beef cattle
- Horses
- Goats
- Poultry
- Sheep
- Rabbits
- Farm crops
- Flowers
- Vegetables
- Horticulture
- Crafts
- Educational exhibits
- Commercial exhibits
- Farm equipment
N.C. Cooperative Extension is once again involved in promoting the fair and is providing access to registration information, the Fair Book and horse-show materials.
For local gardeners, farmers, families and young people involved in agriculture, those competitions are a major part of fair week.
The exhibit hall traditionally brings together everything from produce and flowers to crafts and other homegrown or handmade entries.
Livestock competitions provide local youth, FFA participants and farming families an opportunity to show animals they have worked with for months.
DAILY AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES
The specific livestock-show times in the earlier version of this article have been removed because several could not be independently verified against the accessible 2026 schedule.
Historically, the fair spreads agricultural judging throughout the week rather than holding everything on opening night.
Recent official programs have scheduled exhibit-hall judging early in the week, followed by dairy cattle, goat, poultry, rabbit, beef cattle and horse events on different days.
Anyone attending specifically to see a particular livestock competition should consult the 2026 Fair Book before traveling to the fairgrounds, since show times can change from one year to the next.
N.C. Cooperative Extension provides the current 2026 Fair Book and horse-show information through its Davidson County Fair page.
THURSDAY IS THE FAIR’S LONGEST WEEKDAY
Thursday stands apart from the rest of the workweek.
Instead of opening at 4 p.m., current 2026 listings show the fairgrounds opening at 9 a.m. Thursday and remaining open until 10:30 p.m.
The early opening corresponds with the fair’s longstanding Senior Citizens Day tradition.
Davidson County Senior Services and the Lexington Kiwanis Club have historically partnered on the event, offering daytime activities designed especially for older residents.
Senior Citizens Day has previously included entertainment, refreshments, health information and prize drawings before the regular evening fair crowd arrives.
Because age requirements and admission rules have varied between published Senior Services announcements and fair programs in previous years, visitors planning to attend specifically for the senior admission offer should verify the 2026 age requirement and free-admission window before arrival.
SATURDAY BECOMES AN ALL-DAY FAIR
Saturday is also substantially different from the Monday-through-Friday schedule.
Current 2026 event information lists the gates opening at 9:30 a.m., allowing visitors to spend nearly the entire day at the fairgrounds.
Recent official programs have started the midway at approximately 10 a.m. Saturday, several hours earlier than weekday ride operations.
Saturday has also traditionally included daytime livestock activity and extended ride options.
For families who want to spend several hours at the fair rather than make an evening visit, Saturday is typically the most practical day.
FIREWORKS RETURN AFTER DARK
Fireworks are again being promoted as part of the 2026 Davidson County Agricultural Fair.
The official fair website highlights the nighttime atmosphere with the line:
“And you Bet there’ll be Fireworks!”
The site also promotes the fair’s progression from daytime exhibits and rides to the illuminated midway after sunset.
Recent Davidson County fairs have featured fireworks during fair week, generally late in the evening.
FAIR FOOD REMAINS PART OF THE TRADITION
For plenty of visitors, livestock ribbons and roller coasters share top billing with dinner.
The Davidson County Fair has traditionally included both traveling carnival concessions and food operated by local civic organizations.
Recent official programs have described food and refreshments by civic-club groups along with specialty food stands.
That creates a somewhat different food scene than at a purely commercial carnival.
Alongside familiar fair staples, local organizations have historically operated booths as fundraisers, making the food area another part of the community side of the event.
ENTERTAINMENT AND LOCAL TALENT
Current 2026 event listings describe the fair as having one stage featuring regional and local talent.
The fair has traditionally offered bandstand entertainment during the week, allowing visitors to watch performances without purchasing a separate concert ticket.
The official fair website also promotes the event as a place for “celebrating local talent.”
FAIR PROCEEDS HELP SUPPORT KAMP KIWANIS
The Davidson County Agricultural Fair is more than an annual entertainment event for the Lexington Kiwanis Club.
The official fair website says the organization operates Kamp Kiwanis for three weeks each summer and gives 180 underprivileged children an opportunity to attend summer camp at no cost.
That charitable connection has been a central part of why the Lexington Kiwanis Club continues to sponsor the event.
Fair chairman Tommy Black explained the relationship in earlier coverage by Davidson Local:
“The reason the Kiwanis sponsors the Davidson County Fair is because this is how we raise money to support and finance Kamp Kiwanis every year.”
The fair therefore serves two purposes: an annual community gathering and a fundraiser supporting programs for local children.
DAVIDSON COUNTY FAIR LEADERSHIP
The fair’s current leadership includes Tommy Black, who is listed as fair president and co-manager.
The official fair website lists Black and Vinnon Williams as co-managers and identifies a larger Fair and Agriculture Committee responsible for the event.
The North Carolina Association of Agricultural Fairs also lists Black as the Davidson County Agricultural Fair contact and confirms the September 21-26, 2026 dates, Lexington location and Reithoffer Shows as carnival provider.
WHAT FAMILIES SHOULD BUDGET
The one fully current price that can be independently verified is the $6 general admission charge.
For example, four paying visitors would spend:
$24 just to enter the fair.
Ride wristbands, individual ride tickets, midway games, food and vendor purchases would be additional.
Visitors planning to ride extensively should check the day’s wristband special before buying individual tickets. Historically, the fair has offered substantially cheaper unlimited-ride promotions on some days than others.
That can make the choice of which night to attend meaningful for a family trying to control costs.
BEFORE YOU GO
Davidson County Agricultural Fair
Dates: September 21-26, 2026
Location: Davidson County Fairgrounds
Address: 400 Greensboro Street Extension, Lexington
General Admission: $6
Monday: 4 p.m.-10:30 p.m.
Tuesday: 4 p.m.-10:30 p.m.
Wednesday: 4 p.m.-10:30 p.m.
Thursday: 9 a.m.-10:30 p.m.
Friday: 4 p.m.-10:30 p.m.
Saturday: 9:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m.
Carnival: Reithoffer Shows
Sponsor: Lexington Kiwanis Club
Visitors attending for a particular animal show, ride promotion or special event should check the current 2026 Fair Book before arriving because those schedules are more detailed than the general public event listings.
SIX DAYS OF A DAVIDSON COUNTY TRADITION
For generations of Davidson County families, the agricultural fair has marked the unofficial beginning of fall.
By late afternoon, the smell of fair food begins drifting across the grounds and the midway starts to light up.
Inside the barns and exhibit areas, however, another fair is taking place.
There are vegetables grown in local gardens, livestock raised and trained by young exhibitors, flowers, farm products and projects waiting for judges.
That combination is what separates an agricultural fair from an ordinary carnival.
One part is about rides, games, food and fireworks.
The other is about Davidson County’s agricultural roots and the people who continue them.
Both return to Lexington today.
The 2026 Davidson County Agricultural Fair opens at 4 p.m. Monday and continues through Saturday night, September 26.
REFERENCES AND SOURCES
N.C. Cooperative Extension, Davidson County Center — 2026 Davidson County Fair
Davidson County Agricultural Fair — Official 2026 Fair Website
Reithoffer Shows — 2026 Locations and Schedule
North Carolina Association of Agricultural Fairs — Davidson County Agricultural Fair
FestivalNet — Davidson County Agricultural Fair 2026 Listing, Updated September 2, 2026
Davidson County Agricultural Fair — Most Recent Official Fair Program Used For Historical Pricing Comparison
Steve is an entrepreneur, freelance writer, and super-geek tech nerd based in Lexington, NC. Steve specializes in social media platform development, website design, graphic design, and video production…and serving the one true creator of the universe, aka God.
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