July 21 - 26, 2026 • Harlan Grove, Iowa
"Six Days of Fun for the Whole Family, Rain or Shine"
NEW THIS YEAR: The pork burger stand has MOVED next to the Bingo tent. Look for the red awning. Same great burgers, new spot.
| Ticket | Price |
|---|---|
| Adults (13 and up) | $8.00 |
| Children 6-12 | $4.00 |
| Children under 6 | FREE |
| Season Pass (good all 6 days) | $25.00 |
| Parking | FREE, courtesy of the Cedar County Ag Society |
| Tuesday is Dollar Day | Everything $1: gate, rides, pork burgers, lemonade. One day only. |
Gate admission does not include grandstand events. Grandstand tickets are sold separately at the Extension Office (weekdays 8 to 4:30) and at the grandstand ticket booth starting one hour before showtime. Exhibitors with a current 4-H/FFA wristband enter free all week.
Schedule is subject to change. Listen to KHGR 1490 AM each morning for updates, or check the whiteboard outside the fair office. All times are approximate because livestock shows run until they are done.
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 7:00 AM | Gates open. Final livestock stall assignments posted at each barn. |
| 8:00 AM | Swine weigh-in and ultrasound, Swine Barn (bring your scale sheets) |
| 9:00 AM | 4-H Dog Show (Obedience, then Handling), Show Arena |
| 10:00 AM | Open Class exhibit judging, Exhibit Hall (closed to the public until 1:00 PM) |
| 12:00 PM | Midway opens, Brandmeyer Amusements of Ottumwa. All rides $1 today. |
| 1:00 PM | Exhibit Hall and Home Ec Building open to the public |
| 4:00 PM | 4-H Bucket Calf interviews, north end of the Cattle Barn |
| 5:30 PM | Cedar County Pork Producers grill-out, Food Row ($1 pork burgers today) |
| 7:00 PM | FAIR QUEEN CORONATION, Free Stage |
| 8:00 PM | Harlan Grove Community Band concert, Free Stage |
| 10:00 PM | Barns close to the public. Exhibitors out by 10:30 please. |
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 8:00 AM | 4-H/FFA Swine Show (Jr. Barrows first, then Gilts, then Showmanship), Swine Barn |
| 9:00 AM | Open Class flowers, garden produce and field crops judging, Exhibit Hall |
| 10:00 AM | Kiddie Pedal Pull sign-up, ages 4-11, north of the Grandstand |
| 11:00 AM | Kiddie Pedal Pull, sponsored by Kruger Implement Co. |
| 12:00 PM | Midway opens |
| 2:00 PM | Pie Contest entries due, Home Ec Building (see rules below) |
| 3:00 PM | Pie judging, Home Ec Building. Slices sold afterward, $2, proceeds to the 4-H Foundation. |
| 5:00 PM | 4-H/FFA Sheep Show, Show Arena |
| 6:30 PM | Cedar County Cattlemen's Ribeye Stand opens, Food Row |
| 7:00 PM | TRACTOR PULL (IA East Region sanctioned), Grandstand, $10 |
| 10:30 PM | Barns close |
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 8:00 AM | 4-H/FFA Beef Show (Market first, Breeding to follow), Show Arena |
| 9:00 AM | Antique tractor and machinery display opens, west lawn |
| 10:00 AM | Coffee and cookies for seniors, Fair Office porch, hosted by the Harlan Grove Garden Club |
| 12:00 PM | Midway opens |
| 1:00 PM | Bingo tent opens, Harlan Grove Lions Club (runs daily through Saturday) |
| 2:00 PM | 4-H/FFA Meat Goat and Dairy Goat Show, Show Arena |
| 5:00 PM | Farm Bureau Ice Cream Social, Free Stage lawn, free will donation |
| 6:30 PM | Cedar County Cattlemen's Ribeye Stand opens |
| 7:00 PM | FIGURE-8 RACES, Grandstand, $10 (pit passes $20 at the north gate) |
| 9:30 PM | Teen dance, Free Stage, DJ from KHGR. Parents welcome to hover. |
| 10:30 PM | Barns close |
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 8:00 AM | 4-H/FFA Dairy Show, Show Arena |
| 9:00 AM | 4-H/FFA Poultry and Rabbit Shows, Small Animal Barn |
| 11:00 AM | Clover Kids Show & Tell, Free Stage (bring your project, not your pet snake, we mean it Dawson) |
| 12:00 PM | Midway opens |
| 2:00 PM | Watermelon eating contest, Free Stage, melons donated by Vondrak Seed & Grain |
| 4:00 PM | Cake walk, Bingo tent, benefits the Harlan Grove Fire & Rescue Auxiliary |
| 5:30 PM | Livestock Judging Contest results and awards, Show Arena |
| 6:30 PM | Cedar County Cattlemen's Ribeye Stand opens |
| 8:00 PM | THE FENTON BROTHERS BAND live in concert, Grandstand, $15 (opener: Whiskey Creek Road, 7:00 PM) |
| 11:00 PM | Midway closes. Barns close at 10:30 as usual. |
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 7:00 AM | Demolition derby car inspection begins, north parking lot (cars in by noon) |
| 8:00 AM | 4-H/FFA Horse Show, Horse Arena (west grounds) |
| 9:00 AM | Parade of Champions, Show Arena, followed by round-robin Showmanship |
| 11:00 AM | Kids' games and sack races, Free Stage lawn |
| 12:00 PM | Midway opens. Wristband special 1:00 to 5:00 PM, $20 rides all you want. |
| 1:00 PM | 4-H/FFA LIVESTOCK PREMIUM AUCTION, Show Arena. Buyers register at 12:15. Lunch served for registered buyers. |
| 3:30 PM | Mutton bustin' sign-up (ages 4-7, 60 lb limit, helmet required), Grandstand infield |
| 4:00 PM | Mutton bustin', Grandstand infield, free with gate admission |
| 6:30 PM | Cedar County Cattlemen's Ribeye Stand opens |
| 7:00 PM | DEMOLITION DERBY, Grandstand, $12. Stock, Modified, and Compact classes plus the Powder Puff feature. |
| 10:15 PM | Fireworks over the grandstand, weather permitting, sponsored by Harlan Grove State Bank |
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 9:00 AM | Cowboy Church service, Free Stage, nondenominational, all welcome, bring a lawn chair |
| 10:30 AM | Community potluck dinner, 4-H Building. Ag Society provides fried chicken and lemonade, you bring a dish to pass. |
| 12:00 PM | Midway opens, half-price rides all day |
| 1:00 PM | Pet costume parade, Free Stage lawn (leashes and good judgment required) |
| 2:00 PM | Antique tractor slow race, west lawn. Last across the line wins, no stopping, no tipping. |
| 4:00 PM | All 4-H, FFA, and Open Class exhibits released. Nothing leaves the Exhibit Hall before 4:00, please do not ask. |
| 5:00 PM | FAITH & FAMILY NIGHT, Grandstand: The New Hope Quartet gospel concert. Free will offering. |
| 7:00 PM | Closing remarks and 2026 award drawings, Grandstand |
| 8:00 PM | Fairgrounds close. See you July 20-25, 2027! |
| Night | Event | Ticket |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday | Fair Queen Coronation is at the Free Stage; grandstand dark tonight | n/a |
| Wednesday | Tractor Pull, IA East Region sanctioned, farm stock through 9500 lb classes | $10 |
| Thursday | Figure-8 Races | $10 |
| Friday | The Fenton Brothers Band with opener Whiskey Creek Road | $15 |
| Saturday | Demolition Derby plus fireworks | $12 |
| Sunday | Faith & Family Night: The New Hope Quartet | Free will offering |
Grandstand seating is first come, first served. Track-side reserved box seats ($5 upcharge, limited number) can be reserved by calling the fair office. Coolers are not allowed in the grandstand on race and derby nights, sorry, insurance rules.
The premium book lists every class, entry requirements, and premium payouts for both 4-H/FFA and Open Class departments. Open Class is open to ALL Cedar County residents, you do not need to be in 4-H. We especially encourage first-time exhibitors in baking, canning, photography, and garden produce. Entry is free in most Open Class departments.
Printed copies of the premium book are available at the Extension Office, Harlan Grove Public Library, and the Windmill Cafe. Or download below:
Two-crust fruit pies only. Whole pie must be entered in a disposable pan, and the recipe card must be attached. Crusts must be made from scratch: no store-bought crusts, we can tell. Judging is on crust, filling, and overall appearance. First place receives $25 and the Ruby Halverson Memorial Rolling Pin trophy, which you keep for one year and had better bring back.
The 2026 Cedar County Fair Queen will be crowned Tuesday evening at 7:00 PM on the Free Stage. Candidates must be 16 to 21 years old, a Cedar County resident, and sponsored by a local club, church, or business. The Queen receives a $500 scholarship from Harlan Grove State Bank and will represent Cedar County at the Iowa State Fair Queen contest in Des Moines this August. Application forms were due June 15; contact pageant chair Deb Rasmussen through the fair office with questions. Come cheer on our seven candidates, they have worked hard all summer.
The campground on the east side of the fairgrounds has 64 full hookup sites (water, electric, sewer) at $30 per night, and a grass overflow area with electric only at $20 per night. Exhibitor families get first pick through July 1, then sites open to the general public. Quiet hours are 11:00 PM to 6:00 AM and yes, generators count. The shower house is by the Small Animal Barn and is cleaned twice daily.
To reserve a site, call Ruth at the fair office, (563) 555-0147, weekday mornings. Please do not just show up with a fifth wheel on Monday and hope, it makes Ruth's week very hard.
The Cedar County Fair would not happen without the generous support of these local businesses:
Harlan Grove State Bank
Kruger Implement Co.
Vondrak Seed & Grain
Cedar County Farm Bureau
Petersen-Ohl Funeral Home
Windmill Cafe
Grove Lanes & Pizza
Schmidt Well Drilling
Hawkeye Propane & Supply
D & M Auto Salvage
Tri-Corner Veterinary Clinic
Loretta's House of Hair
Interested in sponsoring in 2027? Sponsorship packets go out in January. Call the fair office and we will add you to the list.