Taylor County Fair opens with cornhole tournament and free barbecue

Taylor County Fair opened its added kickoff day with a free barbecue from 5 to 8 p.m. and a cornhole tournament at the fairgrounds in Bedford, giving the first night of fair week a food-and-play setup before the rest of the schedule rolled in. Tuesday, July 14, carried no admission, and the fair board used the extra day to pull families onto the grounds at 2715 Linwood Ave. in Bedford, Iowa.

The opening-night pairing fit the fair’s 2026 theme, Once Upon a Fair, by turning the first evening into an easy entry point rather than a hard sell. The barbecue was the anchor, and the cornhole tournament followed as the competitive draw, a format that let casual visitors stop by for supper while still giving regular players a reason to stay and compete.

The fair’s own schedule framed the week as a mix of livestock shows, grandstand events, family activities, contests, entertainment and hometown traditions, and the opening-day cornhole slot sat squarely inside that mix. The Bedford Times-Press preview said the fair was kicking off with barbecue and cornhole to offer “something for everyone,” and that is exactly how the first day was packaged: a free meal, a familiar game and a low-pressure way to turn an extra day into an early crowd.

That opening night also set the tone for the rest of the week. Wednesday’s schedule moved into a horse show at 11 a.m. in the show arena, a communication and clothing event at 2 p.m. in the Red Barn, 4-H and FFA club games at 5 p.m., and Quilts of Valor at 6 p.m. before the Miss and Mister contest and the crowning of the Taylor County Fair Queen. Thursday brought a tractor pull at 7 p.m., Friday followed with hog wrestling at 7 p.m., and Sunday closed the fair with a church service.

The Taylor County Fair has been around since 1857, and one directory listing says it draws more than 7,500 visitors. That kind of turnout helps explain why a simple opening-night cornhole tournament matters: it is an accessible, social event that gets people through the gate, keeps them on the grounds and gives the fair a lively start before the bigger grandstand nights take over.