The Houlton Agricultural Fair kicked off at noon on Friday in Community Park near the Houlton Middle High School on Randall Avenue. It runs through Sunday, July 12.
The annual three-day fair celebrates the region’s agricultural roots and is one of the state’s oldest summer traditions dating back to Houlton’s first fair in 1847.
The agricultural fair is more than an annual event, it is a community-driven nonprofit organization that strives to preserve the region’s agricultural legacy and pass it on to younger generations through education and events, according to the fair’s board of directors.
The 2026 Houlton Agricultural Fair’s new schedule is packed from morning till night with traditional favorites like the demolition derby, cooking contests, an exhibit hall and midway, as well as some new vendors and events.
Gates open at 10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday and the midway by Smokey’s Greater Shows opens at noon.
On Friday and Saturday the midway, with its rides, games and classic carnival foods like golden french fries, cheese steaks, fried dough, tacos, burgers and Mexican street corn, stays open until 10 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Sunday.
The Exhibit Hall in the John A. Millar Civic Center offers 18 categories for judging this year, including home canned foods, photography, Wabanaki cultural art, floriculture, woodworking, quilting and home baked foods.
On Friday afternoon several fair goers were talking about Saturday’s potato salad-making contest in the exhibit hall.
Erica Burkhart, co-owner of Burkhart’s of Bulrush Farm in Hodgdon, said she was happy the categories were expanded to include more people.
The beloved truck and tractor pull returns again this year at 2 p.m. Saturday.
Colorado-based country music singer-songwriter Dustin Devine will take the stage Saturday evening at 7:30 p.m.
The Classic Car Show is Sunday from noon to 6 p.m., with registration at 11 a.m.
One of the fair’s biggest draws each year is the 4 p.m. Demolition Derby on Sunday, with registration at 3 p.m. All drivers must attend a mandatory driver’s meeting prior to the derby.
The fair is located next to Houlton Middle High School. Admission is $10, children under five are free, and parking is free. Midway games and food are not included in the entrance fee. The fair wraps up on Sunday at 8 p.m.
