Holmes County Fair opens in Millersburg, Ohio fair season begins

The Holmes County Fair will return to Millersburg Aug. 10-15 for its 100th year, giving local families a fixed point in a summer calendar that stretches across 94 county and independent fairs statewide. In Holmes County, where agriculture remains central to community life, the fair is still one of the clearest public stages for youth projects, livestock culture and the county’s rural economy.

The Ohio Department of Agriculture’s 2026 fair schedule opened the season June 6 with the Paulding County Fair and will run through Oct. 17, when the Fairfield County Fair closes the calendar. The agency says the fair season includes the Ohio State Fair as well, and it describes county and independent fairs as important to Ohio’s agricultural heritage and to youth leadership programs such as 4-H and FFA. It also says it helps assure amusement-ride safety, monitors livestock shows for honest competition and coordinates animal health efforts with local veterinarians.

For Holmes County, the local fair carries a distinct identity. The Holmes County Fair says it is one of the few remaining fairs without open exhibition livestock shows, a difference that puts a sharper focus on local 4-H and FFA youth. That focus matters here because the fair remains one of the county’s most visible annual gatherings, drawing families, exhibitors, volunteers and buyers into Millersburg for a week that still carries real weight for local barns, food stands and downtown traffic.

Admission details give families a practical way to plan ahead. General gate admission is $8, children 10 and younger are free, and a season pass costs $28. Those numbers, paired with the Aug. 10-15 dates, make the Holmes County Fair one of the summer’s most accessible community events for residents balancing other trips, ballgames and work schedules.

Nearby fairs also shape the season for Holmes County readers who follow livestock and youth events across county lines. The Wayne County Fair identifies itself as the 177th Wayne County Fair, with tickets going on sale June 27 at 9 a.m. and its 2026 run set for Sept. 13-17 in Wooster. Together with Holmes County’s own fair week, those dates show how the county fair circuit remains a strong driver of travel, spending and civic turnout well into fall.