How South Dakota County Fairs Work
South Dakota county fairs mix a community fair with a 4-H show. In many counties the 4-H part is called Achievement Days, run by the local SDSU Extension office. Codington County's 2026 packet, for example, describes Achievement Days on August 3 to 6, 2026, with interview judging of display exhibits on the first evening, livestock shows, a 4-H barbecue and a livestock premium sale. Other counties use "county fair" for the whole event, and several combine names, such as the Meade County Fair and Achievement Days in Sturgis or the Potter Achievement Days and County Fair in Gettysburg.
One regional radio station's guide notes that the oldest county fair still running in the state is the Turner County Fair in Parker, held every year since 1880. The same guide says August is fair time in South Dakota.
Typical Fair Dates
Dates change each year, so treat these as a pattern, not a calendar. The hot1047 guide listed these 2025 county fairs:
- Late July. Meade County, July 24 to 26 in Sturgis; Butte/Lawrence in Nisland, July 28 to August 2; Charles Mix in Lake Andes and Tripp Mid Dakota in Winner, both July 29 to August 2.
- Early August. Hutchinson County in Tripp and Union County in Alcester, July 31 to August 2; Clay County in Vermillion, August 7 to 9; Custer County in Hermosa, August 7 to 10.
- Mid August. Brown County in Aberdeen, August 11 to 17; Turner County in Parker, August 11 to 14; Pennington Central States Fair in Rapid City, August 14 to 23.
Codington County's 2026 Achievement Days ran August 3 to 6. For the current year, check your county's fair website or call your Extension office.
Open Class, 4-H and FFA
Different groups can exhibit, under different rules.
- 4-H. Run by SDSU Extension under state 4-H rules. Codington's packet says families should use the State Fair Book, because only items listed in that book are eligible for Achievement Days.
- FFA. FFA members show at the South Dakota State Fair through a separate FFA book and online registration. Your chapter advisor and county fair board will tell you how your local fair handles FFA entries.
- Open class. Rules vary by fair board. Check your county's premium list for who may enter and when.
Registering With FairEntry
Many South Dakota counties now take entries online. Codington County's families were required to register display exhibits, Fashion Revue, communications and livestock in FairEntry by 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, July 22, 2026. Registration opened June 15. Families whose entries were not completed in advance had to wait for office approval. The packet recommends using a laptop or desktop computer, and says the office will help families who need a hand with the process.
Display exhibits needed more than the online entry. After FairEntry, members filled out an exhibit entry form for each display exhibit, because the forms are used for interview judging and carry forward if the exhibit advances to the State Fair.
Age Divisions
The 2026 South Dakota 4-H State Fair Book counts age on or before January 1 of the current 4-H year: Cloverbud 5 to 7, Beginner 8 to 10, Junior 11 to 13 and Senior 14 to 18. Youth exhibiting any large animal livestock must be at least 8. County fairs may add their own wrinkles, such as Codington's Cloverbud entry form and its all-around senior showmanship contest.
Livestock Paperwork
Livestock is where most deadlines pile up. Under the South Dakota 4-H Animal Ownership and Identification Guide:
- Beef, goat, dairy, poultry, rabbit, sheep and swine must be owned by the 4-H exhibitor alone or with immediate family members in the household. Leases are allowed, with a lease form uploaded to 4-H Online by June 1.
- All animals must be individually identified and entered in the member's 4-H Online records.
- Market beef, market goats, market sheep and market swine meant for the State Fair need a DNA sample at the county Extension office by June 1, whether or not they show at the county fair.
- Counties and other shows may set different information deadlines, so ask your office.
Youth showing livestock must also complete an approved Youth Livestock Literacy program, with the county office marking it complete in 4-H Online by July 1. The Codington packet also lists sanitary regulations and a State Fair registration step among its livestock instructions.
Premiums, Sales and Awards
Premium amounts and sale rules are set by each county. Codington's packet describes a livestock premium sale and an all-around senior showmanship contest, and its barbecue tickets in 2026 were $7 for adults, $5 for ages 5 to 18 and $3 for children under 5. At the State Fair, 4-H awards purple (Superior), blue (Excellent), red (Average) or white (Room for Improvement) ribbons. The State Fair Book says 4-H modestly recognizes achievement, and that no prizes or future sale benefits are guaranteed.
From County Fair to the State Fair
The county fair is also the gateway to the South Dakota State Fair in Huron. The 2027 fair is scheduled for September 1 to 6. Key rules from the 2026 State Fair Book and the Extension deadlines page:
- Display exhibits. To qualify, a 4-H exhibitor must exhibit and receive a ribbon placing with at least one display exhibit in a recognized lot at a South Dakota county Achievement Days or fair.
- Updates. Youth may improve projects using county judging feedback, but exhibits cannot go to the State Fair multiple years unless modified.
- Registration. All State Fair entries go through FairEntry. In 2026 the deadline was August 1 at 11:59 p.m. CDT, and the 2027 deadline is also August 1.
- Health papers. Exhibitors need a separate Certificate of Veterinary Inspection for each species.
- No exceptions. The Missed Deadline Agreement says missed state-level deadlines cannot be appealed.
Practical Tips
- Pick up the paper State Fair Book at your Extension office or read it online.
- Put DNA, animal ID, livestock literacy and FairEntry dates on the calendar in spring.
- Register early, because late approvals take staff time.
- Keep your membership card for events that ask for it.
- Leave pets at home if your county bans them; Codington allows only service animals.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Achievement Days and a county fair?
Achievement Days is the name many counties use for the 4-H show. Some counties combine it with the county fair, so check your county's schedule.
Where do I find the premium book?
Contact your county Extension office or fair board. Many counties hand out the State Fair Book and post packets online.
Do I have to show at the county fair to go to the State Fair?
For display exhibits, yes: you need a ribbon placing at a county event. For market animals, a DNA sample on file by June 1 is required regardless of county participation.
When is the State Fair registration deadline?
August 1 at 11:59 p.m. CDT, through FairEntry.
South Dakota Listings Covered by This Guide
- Turner County Fair
Held each year at the Turner County Fairgrounds in Parker with 4-H exhibits and a lamb and beef show; the 2026 fair ran Aug. 17-20 and the 2027 fair is set for Aug. 16-19, run by a 30-member volunteer board.
- Central States Fair
Nine-day regional agriculture and livestock fair established in 1945 at the Central States Fairgrounds in Rapid City; the most recent dates were Aug. 21-29, 2026.
800 San Francisco Street, Rapid City, SD 57701 Official event details - Butte/Lawrence County Fair
The Butte/Lawrence County Fair in Nisland ran July 27 to August 1, 2026, on historic fairgrounds that are on the National Register of Historic Places. Held each year in late July.
Nisland, SD Official event details - Todd County Fair
Todd County fair in Mission with food, 4-H exhibits, a pedal pull, a 5K road race with a 2-mile walk and a petting zoo; held each year, with the most recent dates July 29 to Aug. 1, 2026.
315 Lincoln St., Mission, SD 57555 Official event details - Fall River County Fair
Fall River County Fair in Edgemont ran July 29 to August 2, 2026, bringing 4-H exhibits and county fair events to the southern Black Hills. Held each year around the turn of July and August.
Edgemont, SD Official event details - Union County Fair
Annual county fair at the Alcester fairgrounds with a pancake breakfast, 4-H livestock shows, music, tractor pull, pie contest, fashion revue and royalty contest; the most recent dates were July 30 to Aug. 1, 2026.
- Moody County Fair
Moody County Fair in Flandreau ran July 30 to August 1, 2026, at the county fairgrounds on North Veterans Street. Held each year at the end of July.
400 N Veterans St, Flandreau, SD 57028 Official event details - Sioux Empire Fair
Sioux Empire Fair, the Minnehaha County fair in Sioux Falls, ran July 31 to August 8, 2026, the largest of the summer county fairs in eastern South Dakota. Held each year.
Sioux Falls, SD Official event details - Perkins County Fair
Perkins County Fair in Bison ran July 31 to August 2, 2026, at the Perkins County Fairgrounds on West Carr Street. Held each year at the start of August.
400 West Carr Street, Bison, SD 57620 Official event details - Sully County Fair
Sully County Fair in Onida ran August 5 to 9, 2026, on the Missouri River side of central South Dakota. Held each year in early August.
Onida, SD Official event details - Day County Fair
Day County Fair in Webster ran August 5 to 9, 2026, at the fairgrounds on West 1st Avenue in the Glacial Lakes region. Held each year in early August.
530 W 1st Ave, Webster, SD 57274 Official event details - Custer County Fair
Custer County Fair in Hermosa ran August 6 to 9, 2026, with swine, dairy and beef shows, a ranch rodeo and bronc riding, a parade and a 4-H and open class exhibit hall. Held each year.
Hermosa, SD Official event details - Corson County Fair
Corson County Fair in McIntosh ran August 7 to 9, 2026, in the far north of the state near the North Dakota line. Held each year in early August.
McIntosh, SD Official event details - Potter County Fair
Four-day county fair at the Gettysburg fairgrounds with a rodeo, bean bag tournament, food vendors and kids activities; the most recent dates were Aug. 1-4, 2026, and it is held each year.
600 N East St, Gettysburg, SD 57442 Official event details - Brown County Fair
Brown County Fair in Aberdeen ran August 10 to 16, 2026, one of the longer county fairs in northeastern South Dakota. Held each year in mid-August.
Aberdeen, SD Official event details - Clay County Fair
Clay County Fair in Vermillion ran August 12 to 15, 2026, at the Clay County Fairgrounds in the state's southeast. Held each year in August.
Vermillion, SD Official event details - Thunder at the Fair Truck and Tractor Pull
Held each year; the most recent date was Sept. 7, 2026, at 1 PM. Trucks and tractors pull the sled on the final afternoon of the South Dakota State Fair in Huron.
1060 3rd St. SW, Huron, SD 57350 | 605-353-7340 | Organizer: South Dakota State Fair Official event details - North Country Fiber Fair
Fiber arts and fleece fair for wool growers, spinners and knitters at the Extension Complex in Watertown, Sept. 18-20, 2026.
1910 West Kemp Avenue, Watertown, SD 57201 | Organizer: North Country Fiber Fair Official event details - Corson County Fair Board
Volunteer board that runs the McIntosh county fair held the second weekend of August, with 4-H and open class livestock, static exhibits, a meal and a car show.
PO Box 255, McIntosh, SD 57641 | (605) 273-4368
Guide checked Nov. 11, 2026. Rules and dates change; confirm with the organizer.