Yuma County Fair Returns in 2026, Celebrating 250 Years of America

The 74th Annual Yuma County Fair wrapped its six-day run at the Yuma County Fairgrounds on April 5 under the theme "America the Beautiful: Celebrating 250 Years," weaving the nation's semiquincentennial into a local tradition more than a century old.

Junior Livestock Shows ran each morning beginning at 8:00 AM throughout the week, filling the fairgrounds at 2520 E. 32nd Street with the agricultural energy that has defined the event since 1915. Small stock and large livestock auctions punctuated the schedule, a format that at last year's 73rd edition saw nearly 400 animals move through the large animal auction alone.

That 2025 fair also produced a standout moment in the show ring: siblings Jett and Jessi Hancock took top prizes for showing market beef, setting a high competitive standard heading into this year's 74th edition.

Youth involvement extended well beyond livestock. The fair's official Premium Book cover was designed by four Cibola High School students, Fernando Camacho, Alberto Fraijo, Alexia Meza, and Yulieth Yanez, working under instructor Richard Fontanes. Inside the 4-H and FFA buildings, project categories on display spanned photography, home economics, clothing and textiles, school enrichment, and outreach work.

The Yuma County Fair Junior Livestock Committee, which coordinates 4-H and FFA livestock activity and keeps clubs informed throughout the year, counts nearly 1,963 followers on its Facebook page, reflecting the sustained community investment the fair generates across all twelve months, not just fair week.

Since 1915, Yuma County has held a regional reputation as home to one of the finest county fairs in the Southwest, and the 74th edition carried that history squarely into America's 250th year.