Date/Time
Date(s) - 08/12/2026
7:00 am - 10:00 pm
Location
Dakota County Fairgrounds 4008 220th St W, Farmington, MN, 55024
Description
County fair fun in the Twin Cities Southeast Metro! Dakota County’s event features traditional events like 4-H shows, lumberjack and axe throwing shows, lots of family-friendly music and magic shows, daily tractor parade, character meet-and-greets and the chance to step back in time at Dakota City Heritage Village. Fair admission is FREE, parking is $10/car.
2026 Dakota County Fair family events
Every day of the fair you can catch family-friendly entertainment and events:
- Daily Tractor Parade through Dakota City (1pm)
- Axe-throwing, lumberjack, Mega Jump and magic shows
Monday, August 10: Community Day
- 8am | Fair opens
- 10am-8pm | Dakota City open
- 2-10pm | Carnival open
Tuesday, August 11: Senior Day
- 7am | Fair opens
- 9am-12pm | Senior Day Social: free beverages & treats – Ahlberg Hall, Dakota City
- 10am-8pm | Dakota City open
- 10:30am | Kids Power Pedal Tractor Pull contest
- 12-10pm | Carnival open
Wednesday, August 12: Hero Appreciation Day
- 7am | Fair opens
- 8am-12pm | Hero Appreciation Reception – Ahlberg Hall
- 12:30pm | Heroes invited to ride the Dakota Village trolley in the 1 PM tractor parade.
- 10am-8pm | Dakota City open
- 12-10pm | Carnival open
- 5pm | Kids Lumberjack Sports Camp
- 7-9pm | Rodeo Night (free tickets for military)
Thursday, August 13: Kids Day
- 7am | Fair opens
- 10am-8pm | Dakota City open
- 10am-6:30pm | Children’s Barnyard Tours
- 1-4pm | Cinderella & Captain America Meet-and-Greets – Ag Experience Building
- 7:30pm | Demolition Derby
Friday, August 14
- 7am | Fair opens
- 10am-8pm | Dakota City open
- 7:30pm | Demolition Derby
Saturday, August 15: Public Safety Day
- 7am | Fair opens
- 9am-3pm | Meet Dakota County Peace Officers and explore squad cars, drones & airboat
- 10am-3:30pm | Fire & EMS Demos – meet personnel, touch-a-truck, watch safety demos
- 10am-8pm | Dakota City open
More information
- Event link: Dakota County Fair
RETURN TO FAMILY FUN CALENDAR
Please Note: This calendar is personally curated by FamilyFunTwinCities.com to include only events we believe would be of interest to families. We attempt to include the information we find most essential as parents. We make every effort to keep up with changes. However, we have hundreds of calendar entries to manage and sometimes miss event modifications or make mistakes. We are not employed by or connected to the venues for the events we share and they will sometimes change without our knowledge. We recommend calling or checking the venue’s website to verify the information we have shared.
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