Routt County Fair 2026

The Routt County Fair is an annual summer tradition established in 1914. Held at the Routt County Fairgrounds in Hayden, Colorado, it celebrates Northwest Colorado’s rich ranching and agricultural heritage with livestock shows, rodeos, 4-H and FFA exhibits, a carnival, and family events.

The Routt County Fair is from Friday, August 7th to Sunday, August 16th, 2026. See below for a description of the daily events.

2026 ROUTT COUNTY FAIR — SCHEDULE
Routt County Fairgrounds, Hayden, CO | August 7–16, 2026

Location Key
EH = Exhibit Hall · EH Tent = tent alongside the Exhibit Hall · F = F-Field · LB = Lockhart Barn · M = Midway · M/T = Midway/Track · MPB = Multi-Purpose Building · OA = Outdoor Arena · SAB = Small Animal Barn · T = Track

FRIDAY, AUGUST 7
8 AM — 4-H/FFA Stalling — MPB
8 AM–3 PM — Open Horse Show / 4-H/FFA Ranch Horse Versatility — OA
9 AM — Home Arts Set-Up — EH
3 PM — English Flat Classes — OA
Immediately following English Flat Classes — Friday Night Lights JUMPERS — OA

SATURDAY, AUGUST 8
8 AM — 4-H/FFA Stalling — MPB
8 AM–5 PM — Open Horse Show & Performance Show — OA
7 PM — ATV/UTV Motocross — OA

SUNDAY, AUGUST 9
8 AM — 4-H/FFA Stalling — MPB
8 AM — Open Gymkhana — OA
11 AM–6 PM — Home Arts Check-In — EH
11 AM — Ranch Sorting — OA
1 PM — Lion’s Club Parade — Main Street, Hayden
2 PM — Chuck Fulton Memorial Open Draft Horse Demo — OA
5 PM — Power Wheels Derby — M
4 PM — Ranch Rodeo BBQ — EH Tent
6 PM — Ranch Rodeo — OA

MONDAY, AUGUST 10
8 AM — 4-H/FFA Stalling — MPB
9 AM–7 PM — Exhibit Hall OPEN — EH
9 AM — Home Arts Judging Begins — EH
9 AM — 4-H/FFA Horse Show — OA
Following Horse Show — 4-H/FFA Gymkhana — OA
6 PM — Team Roping Jackpot — OA

TUESDAY, AUGUST 11
8 AM — 4-H/FFA Stalling — MPB
8:30 AM — 4-H/FFA Dog Show — F
9 AM–7 PM — Exhibit Hall OPEN — EH
12 PM — 4-H/FFA Rabbit and Poultry Weigh-In — SAB
5–6 PM — Taste of Fair — EH Tent
6 PM — Ribbon Cutting of Exhibit Hall, Open to the Public — EH
6–6:30 PM — Pie Silent Auction / Bake Sale — EH Tent
6–9 PM — Battle of the Bands — M
6 PM — 4-H/FFA Swine Weigh-In — MPB

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12
8 AM — 4-H/FFA Poultry Show; OPEN Poultry Show (following 4-H/FFA Show) — SAB
9 AM–7 PM — Exhibit Hall OPEN — EH
Bale Hay Contest (see fair book page 66 for details)
10 AM — 4-H/FFA Sheep & Goat Weigh-In — MPB
11:30 AM — 4-H/FFA Steer Weigh-In — MPB
11 AM–1:30 PM — Senior Lunch / Veterans Appreciation Day — EH
4–6 PM — Dutch Oven Demo, Yampa Valley Community Connections — M & EH Tent
5 PM — 4-H/FFA Swine Show — MPB
5–7 PM — FFA Fundraiser Meal/Ice Cream Social — F
6 PM — Eugene Buchanan, “Yampa Yearnings” Author Talk and Book Signing — EH Tent
7 PM — Stock Dog Show — OA
8 PM — Wednesday Night Movie (following Swine Show) — M

THURSDAY, AUGUST 13
8 AM — 4-H/FFA Rabbit Show; Open Rabbit Show (following 4-H/FFA Show) — SAB
9 AM–7 PM — Exhibit Hall OPEN — EH
10 AM–6 PM — 4-H F.M. Light & Sons Ag Experience — LB
12–7 PM — FREE Ride Day, courtesy of Mountain Valley Bank — M
12:30 PM — Bucket Calf Show — MPB
12:30 PM — 4-H/FFA Dairy/Breeding Beef Show — MPB
2 PM — 4-H/FFA Market Beef Show — MPB
3–6 PM — Cam’s Ag Academy — LB
5 PM — Mini Horse/Donkey Race — OA
5–10 PM — Beer Garden — MPB area
6–8 PM — Sip & Paint — EH Tent
7 PM — Bonfire & Goat Roping (following Beef Show) — F

FRIDAY, AUGUST 14
9 AM — Fancy Future Royalty — EH
9 AM–7 PM — Exhibit Hall OPEN — EH
10 AM–4 PM — Cam’s Ag Academy — LB
10 AM–6 PM — 4-H F.M. Light & Sons Ag Experience — LB
10 AM–7 PM — FREE Ride Day, courtesy of Mountain Valley Bank — M
10 AM — Dress Your Animal — MPB
11 AM — 4-H/FFA Goat Show — MPB
1 PM — Exhibit Hall Craft Time — EH Tent
2 PM — Bum Lamb Contest — MPB
2 PM — 4-H/FFA Sheep Show — MPB
4:45 PM — Fair Royalty Reception — EH Tent
5:30 PM — Past Fair Royalty Showcase — Grandstands
5–10 PM — Beer Garden — M/T
5:30 PM — Wine & Beer Contest — EH Tent
6 PM — Gold Buckle Dreams Junior Rodeo — OA
9 PM — Street Dance with Live DJ — Poplar St.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 15
8:30 AM — 4-H/FFA Round Robin — MPB
9 AM–7 PM — Exhibit Hall OPEN — EH
10 AM–4 PM — F.M. Light & Sons Ag Experience — LB
10 AM–3 PM — Cam’s Ag Academy — LB
10 AM–7 PM — FREE Ride Day, courtesy of Town of Hayden — M
10 AM — Pretty Baby Contest — EH
11 AM — YVEA’s Mutton Bustin’ — T
2 PM — Horse Shoe Tournament — F
3–5 PM — 4-H Bobby Robinson Sr. Memorial FREE Community BBQ, sponsored by Alpine Bank & Rhinehart Oil, music by Guerin Lewis — F
3 PM — KRAI FREE Coke Floats — F
3–11 PM — Beer Garden — M/T
4:30 PM — Routt County Junior Livestock Sale, sponsored by Pinnacle Buildings — MPB
7 PM — Austin Williams in Concert, sponsored by The Wild Horse Refuge (see fair book page 82 for details) — OA

SUNDAY, AUGUST 16
7:30 AM — Livestock Load Out — Barn Closed to Public — MPB
8 AM — 4-H/FFA Tear Down — MPB
9 AM–2 PM — Exhibit Hall OPEN — EH
12–2 PM — Home Arts Exhibits Released / Open Class Payout — EH
10 AM–2 PM — FREE Ride Day, courtesy of Town of Hayden — M
11 AM — Mutton Bustin’ — T
1 PM — Adopt-A-Pig — MPB

Schedule subject to change. Source: routtcountyfair.org