Morgan County Fair sets 2026 dates, lineup for July in Jacksonville
The Morgan County Fair returns July 7-12 in Jacksonville with $5 admission, free parking and a July lineup built around youth events and grandstand shows.
The Morgan County Fair is back on the Jacksonville summer calendar, and the 2026 edition is already being promoted as a major draw for families, student exhibitors and small vendors across Morgan County. The fair will run July 7 through July 12 at the Morgan County Fairgrounds, 110 N Westgate Ave. in Jacksonville, with free parking and a schedule built around livestock, contests, rides and grandstand entertainment.
Gate admission will be $5 Tuesday through Saturday, with free admission on Sunday Family Day. Children 6 and under will be admitted free, and a $15 season pass will be available for those planning to spend multiple days at the grounds. The fair’s lineup keeps the familiar county-fair rhythm in place, mixing food, games, carnival rides and competition with the kind of youth-centered programming that keeps the event anchored in local life.
The week opens July 7 with the Morgan County Fair Talent Contest and the 68th Annual Morgan County Fair Pageant. July 8 brings Sheep Judging and Rabbit Judging, setting up the agricultural side of the fair that still gives area exhibitors a place to show animals and compete. July 9 is packed with Swine Judging, Kids’ Day, Youth Fun Show, Power Wheels Derby, Demolition Derby and live music from The Skanqs, making it one of the fair’s busiest days for younger visitors and families. The Western Horse Show is set for July 11, and Family Day on Sunday, July 12, will again offer free gate admission.
The grandstand schedule brings in national touring acts as well, with Ian Munsick and Corey Kent booked for Friday, July 10, followed by Cole Swindell and Sadie Bass on Saturday, July 11. That mix of concerts, livestock shows and kid-friendly events is part of why the fair remains one of the county’s clearest summer gathering points, drawing people from Jacksonville and surrounding communities such as Meredosia, Franklin and Waverly.
The fair’s roots run deep. The Morgan County Agricultural Society was formed in 1851, and that first fair year included a stock fair at the Poor House grounds in eastern Jacksonville and a textile fabrics and home-manufacturers exhibit on the public square. After the Morgan County Fair Association bought the 42-acre fairgrounds from the State of Illinois in 1948 for $12,000, the annual fair resumed in 1951. Today, the Morgan County Agricultural Fair Association and its board of directors run the event, keeping a long-running county tradition in circulation as another summer fair season begins.
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