Douglas County Fair, Rodeo 100 Days Away, Trace Adkins to Open Event

Trace Adkins will open Douglas County’s fair and rodeo on July 24, giving families, ticket buyers and local vendors a clear deadline as the county begins its 100-day countdown to one of Castle Rock’s biggest summer draws. The 2026 Douglas County Fair & Rodeo runs July 24 through Aug. 2, and general admission tickets start at $65.

Douglas County said Adkins is on a 30th anniversary tour and has 40 hit singles, making the 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 24, concert the most obvious high-demand night on the calendar. It is the kind of opening slot that can pull in fairgoers before the rest of the schedule fills out, especially for residents planning around work, youth activities and weekend travel.

The county has already laid out several anchor events. A Colorado Farm-to-Table brunch is scheduled for 10 a.m. to noon on Sunday, July 26. The Unbridled Rodeo follows at 10 a.m. Wednesday, July 29, in partnership with Developmental Pathways, before ProRodeo weekend takes over from July 30 through Aug. 2. Tickets for the rodeo weekend are already on sale, and the county says more headliner announcements are still to come.

The Unbridled Rodeo stands out as one of the fair’s most distinctive community events. Developmental Pathways describes it as free and inclusive for individuals with disabilities and their families, with adaptive activities including stick-horse racing, mechanical bull riding, roping, crafts, sensory activities and dancing. That gives the fair a broader civic role than a concert calendar alone, especially for families looking for accessible programming in one place.

The fairgrounds also carry weight beyond the annual event. Douglas County says the grounds host more than 800 events each year, from weddings and trade shows to concerts, festivals and rodeos. The fair’s website points to recent recognition, including 2025 and 2024 Large Rodeo of the Year in the Mountain State ProRodeo Circuit, the 2025 Most Improved Rodeo, 2024 Best Ground and the 2023 Polaris Remuda Award.

Compared with 2025, when Dustin Lynch opened the fair and the Farm-to-Table brunch was set for July 27, the 2026 lineup keeps the same late-July, early-August rhythm while shifting to a veteran country headliner and an earlier brunch. For Douglas County, that means the planning window is open now, and the dates most likely to fill first are opening night and the final ProRodeo weekend.