The Little Fair That Could

By Jennifer Halley, The West Side Newspaper

The Polk County Fair is the little fair that could. 

Beyond the fair’s theme this year, it’s the underlying current of the fairground’s resolve to continue to be a staple in the community. 

The news of the fair’s possible closure came earlier this year. Polk County is positioning a tax levy that will help pay for a proposed five-year budget, which includes necessary maintenance and, as Tina Andersen, Fair Manager, says, “get us back on our feet and moving again.”

“It’s the only thing at this point that’s going to save us,” she added. “It’s been a struggle to keep our doors open. COVID-19 hit the fairgrounds hard and their bills have tripled since then. The last five years the county's been amazing to us and helped us in any way they could, but now they're also struggling on their budget side of it. They can't afford to keep us alive, so we are struggling to try to keep ourselves alive. It’s heartbreaking for us.”

If approved, the levy would cost taxpayers 0.12 cents per thousand on assessed value, so if your home is assessed as $600,000 it would be $62 per year.

“If that does not go through for us, the country’s closing our doors on December 31,” Andersen said. “So The Little Fair That Could is our good luck theme this year.”

The Polk County Fair runs August 5 to 8, with doors opening at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. 

Entry fees include $10 for adults; $8 for juniors aged 11–15; and $8 for seniors 62 and older. Free entry is included for Seniors on Thursday until 4 p.m., children 10 and under everyday, and those with Military ID. If you plan on attending multiple days, there are season passes starting at $30 for adults, $20 for seniors and $24 for juniors. 

Tickets go on sale July 13 at 8 a.m., or you can buy them at the door. 

Parking is free. 

Notable events include the rodeo, put on by Longhorn Productions and scheduled for August 6 at 7:00 p.m. Tickets sell out fast. Participants can buy them online or in person.

Friday night will feature young riders from Oregon High School Equestrian Team (OHSET) competing in barrel racing and pole bending, and Saturday will be the garden tractor pull, a modified motorsport where participants hook their lawnmowers to a weight-transfer sled on a dirt track. Whoever goes farthest will be crowned the winner. 

Other events, such as the local bands, the 4-H Monster Cookie Contest, the Beautiful Baby contest, and more will happen across the four-day event. For a full list of events and schedules, visit https://www.polkcountyor.gov/368/Polk-County-Fair-2026. Please note the schedule is subject to change. 

Beyond providing a weekend full of events and activities fair-goers can view and participate in, the fair exists as a years-long partnership between community members and businesses. 

A fair staple, the young members of 4-H & Future Farmers of America (FFA) will present their livestock at the youth livestock auction.

“These kids have worked the whole year to raise these animals and sell them at the auction, and it serves as such a big educational piece for them,” Andersen said. “They learn how to run a business, what it takes to put money into something and hope it pays off later, and that’s a really great thing. 

There are the animal and fruits and vegetables displays, youth arts & crafts, sewing, photography, fine arts, poetry, and foods & table-setting contests that community members enter for competition. 

The Central High School Cheerleading team will be volunteering their time at the free kids’ station, and the Polk County Sheriff’s and Fire Departments will be hosting kid-friendly events of their own. 

“All in all, we have about 600 volunteers for the fair, and we could not do it without them,” Andersen said. “They are amazing people. There is a lot of behind-the-scenes work that goes on to get this fair put together. So everybody does everything.”

The fairgrounds do more than host the fair each year. During the Santiam Fire of 2020, the fairgrounds became an emergency center and opened its doors to displaced animals and people. Throughout the year, it hosts various swap meets, auto shows, and ongoing 4-H programs. 

Andersen has been involved with the fair for 27 years. She understands the struggles of trying to keep doors open for events like this.

“We're asking people to accept us for who we are, and that's just that we’re simple. Our goal, if our levee passes, is to make fair admission free, because if our Community steps forward for us, we're going to step forward for them.”