South Dakota County Fairs 2025: Dates & Locations

The end of summer is coming up fast. Before school starts and we turn our attention to cooler weather and the holidays, it's county fair time in South Dakota.

History of County Fairs in America

The county fair, as we've come to know it today, has its roots in early 19th-century New England. The “Father of US agricultural fairs,” Elkanah Watson, is credited with creating the first modern county fair in the United States. In 1811, in Massachusetts, he organized what he called a 'Cattle Show.'

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Agriculture at the Heart of SD Fairs

As a city kid, I always associated the fair with the carnival and concerts. But, county fairs have been about agriculture from the start, showing and selling livestock, crops, and farm machinery.

Turner County Fair: Since 1880

In South Dakota, the oldest county fair that is still going on is the Turner County Fair held in Parker, SD. It's been happening every year since 1880.

August is fair time in South Dakota, and here is a list of county fairs scheduled in 2025

2025 South Dakota County Fair Schedule:

Bennett County Fair - August 6-9 - Martin, SD
Brown County Fair - August 11-17 - Aberdeen, SD
Butte/Lawrence County Fair - July 28-August 2 - Nisland, SD
Charles Mix County Fair - July 29-August 2 - Lake Andes, SD
Clay County Fair - August 7-9 - Vermillion, SD
Corson County Fair - August 8-10 - McIntosh, SD
Custer County Fair - August 7-10 - Hermosa, SD
Day County Fair - August 6-10 - Webster, SD
Fall River County Fair - July 30-August 2 - Edgemont, SD
Hutchinson County Fair - July 31-August 2 - Tripp, SD
Meade County Fair and Achievement Days - July 24-26 - Sturgis, SD
Moody County Fair - July 30-August 2 - Flandreau, SD
Pennington Central States Fair - August 14-23 - Rapid City, SD
Perkins County Fair - July 31-August 4 - Bison, SD
Potter Achievement Days and County Fair - August 2-5 - Gettysburg, SD
Todd County Fair - July 31-August 2 - Mission, SD
Tripp Mid Dakota Fair - July 29-August 2 - Winner, SD
Turner County Fair - August 11-14 - Parker, SD
Union County Fair - July 31-August 2 - Alcester, SD
Yankton County Fair - August 1-2 - Yankton, SD

MORE: County Fair Nostalgia: Why These Cheap Mirrors Meant Everything to Us

Sioux Empire Fair Concerts 2000-2024

The live concerts are definitely a highlight for many of the annual Sioux Empire Fair. The event held each August at the W.H. Lyon Fairgrounds in Sioux Falls brings people from all over the Sioux Empire together.

The concerts can range from country music superstars to classic rock legends, to current chart-toppers.

If you want to exercise your nostalgia muscles, check out this list of all the headliners from the Sioux Empire Fair since the year 2000.

Gallery Credit: Sioux Empire Fair

Source: South Dakota’s 2025 County Fair Lineup – Don’t Miss a Date