The Dallas County Fair is more affordable than ever as the annual event returns with a free carnival.
“This year the carnival is free all day, every day,” said Sherry James, fair board director. “It’s nice to be able to offer that for free so that the families can come out. You’ve got free parking, free admission and now the free carnival. Plus, all of our free entertainment on the center stage.”
The fair runs July 8-12 at the Dallas County Fairgrounds, 28057 Fairground Rd, Adel.
What can I do at the Dallas County Fair?
Thursday, July 10 is Kids Day at the fair, with free face painting, kids activities by Dallas County Parks and Rec, a pedal pull and more. Clover Kids Day will be held in the afternoon, with static exhibit judging, activities and a Popsicle Palooza.
The beef show returns in the morning while the fashion show, communication/clothing awards will be held in the afternoon. The popular mutton busting and rodeo return later that evening at the south arena followed by live music.
Friday, July 11 will feature the goat and sheep shows, watermelon feed, queen coronation, Share the Fun and more. The evening will wrap up with a concert featuring Matt Stell and special guest Jordan Beem. Tickets are still available online and can also be purchased at the gate the night of the show.
“Matt Stell is climbing the country charts really quickly,” James said. “Jordan Beem has been a wonderful supporter of the Dallas County Fair and has performed for us numerous times so for him to be the opener for that concert really brought that all together.”
The fair will conclude on Saturday, July 12 with the swine, rabbit, poultry and horse shows, remote control car races, bingo and more. The evening will wrap up with Figure 8 and Circle Track Racing followed by live music and fireworks.
The fair will also feature a variety of free entertainment throughout the week, including a Firefighter Show, Xtreme Strong Man, Shaun Jay Magic, Agri-Golf and more.
“We always pride ourselves on free gate admission and free parking and we have lots of free entertainment,” James said. “There really is a lot to do to bring the family out to the Dallas County Fair and it doesn’t have to cost a lot of money.”
What improvements have been made at the Dallas County Fairgrounds for 2025?
One of the first things fairgoers will notice as they head into the Dallas County Fairgrounds is a new digital sign by Highway 169. The sign allows the fair board to highlight events at the fairgrounds throughout the year.
The sign was made possible through a grant from the Dallas County Foundation and Grow Greene County along with additional donations.
Other improvements to the fairgrounds include additional campsites and drainage work in the campgrounds, new fences along the north track and south arena and new sponsorship signs.
“The south arena has had a lot of new fresh paint put on it, so it’s really spruced it up,” James added.
The fair board also purchased new goat pens and moved the poultry building to a larger location as both of those 4-H/FFA shows continue to grow.
The former poultry building has been turned into a varied industry/commercial exhibit building. James said around 16 vendors will be set up inside the building, featuring everything from soaps to western wear. Educational booths will also be set up, including Dallas County Conservation, Dallas County Hospital, Dallas County Soil and Water Conservation and more. A corn pile for kids to play in will be located outside of the building.
“We’re excited to be able to offer that, we haven’t done that for a very long time,” James said of the varied industries building.
Where can I find a schedule of events for the Dallas County Fair?
Look for a full schedule of events on the newly updated Dallas County Fair Association website or extension.iastate.edu/dallas/county-fair. Find more information on the Dallas County Fair Association, Dallas County 4-H or Iowa State University Extension and Outreach in Dallas County Facebook pages.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Here’s what to expect from the 2025 Dallas County Fair, including a free carnival
Reporting by Allison Ullmann, Dallas County News and Perry Chief / Des Moines Register
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
