Colbert County Alabama Fairgrounds Events

Colbert County Fairgrounds in Muscle Shoals, Alabama: North Alabama State Fair dates, tickets, livestock shows, vendor info, directions, and local FAQs.

Colbert County Fairgrounds: Upcoming Events, Fair Dates, and Everything You Need to Know

If you search for the Colbert County fairgrounds, you’ll end up at 65 Sportsplex Drive in Muscle Shoals. This is the home of the North Alabama State Fair, which is how most people in the Shoals refer to the annual fair. Colbert County doesn’t run a separate county fair of its own. The state fair name is a regional label, not a government one. The fair is a standalone nonprofit, and the same grounds host other events through the year. This page covers all of it.

The 2026 fair has already wrapped up. It ran September 14–20 in Muscle Shoals. If you’re planning for 2027, scroll to the dates and FAQ sections. northalabamastatefair

Overview of Colbert County Fairgrounds

Where the grounds are

The address is 65 Sportsplex Drive, Muscle Shoals, AL 35661. The fair’s phone number is 256-383-3247. Muscle Shoals is one of the Shoals cities in Colbert County, and the county as a whole sits in the northwestern part of Alabama, bordering Lauderdale County to the north, Lawrence and Franklin counties to the south and east, and Tishomingo County, Mississippi, to the west.

I couldn’t find a published acreage or facility map. The fair’s own site names an Event Barn, and the carnival midway fills the open ground around it.

Who runs it

The fair is operated by North Alabama State Fair, Inc. The fair’s own history page says it is a nonprofit, self-supporting organization that receives no subsidy from city, county, state, or federal governments, with profits beyond expenses and capital costs donated to charity and board members unpaid. That page is an older version, so confirm the current structure with the fair office.

How long it has been running

The official site says the fair has been an Alabama family tradition for over 92 years. Sources disagree on the first year. The fair’s older history page gives 1935, with total attendance of 2,059, while other listings say it officially began in 1934. Use “since the mid-1930s” unless the fair office settles it.

Why it matters locally

Colbert County is known for music and Helen Keller. Sheffield and Muscle Shoals are where Aretha Franklin and the Rolling Stones recorded, and Ivy Green, Keller’s birthplace, is in the county. The fair is the agricultural side of that identity: livestock barns, competitive exhibits, and a week of cheap entertainment in the same county where cotton and cattle land still surrounds the cities.

Upcoming Events at Colbert County Fairgrounds

The main event: North Alabama State Fair

The fair runs one week each September, Monday through Sunday. Recent years show the pattern:

• 2024: September 9–15 (listed by Colbert County Tourism)
• 2025: September 8–14
• 2026: September 14–20

The 2027 dates hadn’t been published as of today. Looking at the last few years, expect a Monday start in mid-September, but don’t plan travel until the fair posts dates at northalabamastatefair.org or on its Facebook page.

When exploring local fairs, agricultural exhibitions, and community gatherings across Alabama, Colbert County Alabama Fairgrounds Events offer a useful starting point for discovering regional entertainment and family-friendly activities. Visitors interested in events across the state can also explore Coffee County Alabama Fairgrounds Events to learn about fairs, livestock shows, seasonal celebrations, and community festivals in another Alabama county. Both locations highlight the importance of local traditions and provide opportunities for families and visitors to enjoy the unique culture, entertainment, and community spirit of Alabama.

Other events

The grounds also host non-fair events. A Songkick listing shows Southern Rock Woodstock 2020 at the North Alabama Fairgrounds, a multi-band concert. Beyond that, I couldn’t verify a regular calendar of gun shows, swap meets, rodeos, or motocross. Check the fair’s Facebook page for current non-fair events. songkick

Renting the grounds

I found no published rental rates or booking process. The fair office phone above is the right place to ask about private events, and the Facebook page is the best way to catch event announcements.

The Colbert County Fair Itself

Dates and name

Locals say “the fair” or “the Shoals fair.” The official name is the North Alabama State Fair. Search listings often label it a county fair because of where it sits.

Midway and rides

The midway is run by Wade Shows, a traveling carnival company, and the fair advertises it as one of the largest carnival midways in the area. Wade Shows’ 2026 pricing included a $32 advance ride-wristband-plus-admission combo for any one day, and at the gate a $45 combo Tuesday through Saturday ($35 wristband, $10 admission) or $37 on Sunday. Prices change every year, so check Wade Shows or the fair for 2027.

Entertainment

Shows are included with admission. The 2025 lineup included Show-Me Swine Racers, Pirates of the Colombian Caribbean, a demolition derby, Tickled Pink Petting Zoo, and a Gospel Sing-Off. The demolition derby is the longest-running tradition on that list. In 2025 it ran on opening Monday in the Event Barn, with registration forms and rules posted on the fair’s entertainment page. If you want to enter a car, get the rules and form before the fair; the 2025 versions were posted in early August.

Admission and discount days

Using 2025 as the reference: gates opened 5 to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday, noon to 10 p.m. Saturday, and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. Admission was $10 for ages 7 and up, and parking on site was free. The discount days were set by day of the week: on Saturday, kids 12 and under got in free until 4 p.m., and on Sunday, seniors 65 and over got in free. Sources disagree on the free-admission age for small children (under 6 vs. under 7), so confirm before you go.

Food

The fair advertises carnival favorites and fair food specialties from both local and national vendors. I couldn’t verify which local nonprofits run stands or any specific signature dish, so I’m not naming one.

Exhibits and livestock

The fair showcases animal and livestock exhibits, competitive displays, and agricultural attractions. The older history page set a goal of 2,500 exhibits and over $45,000 in cash awards for 2017. Treat those as historical figures. Current category lists and premium amounts are in the fair’s exhibitor materials.

Facilities and Grounds

Verified facility details are thin. The fair’s site references an Event Barn, and the grounds are shared with the Muscle Shoals Sportsplex name that gives the street its title. Here is what I could and couldn’t confirm:

• Parking: Free on site as of 2025.
• Livestock barns, stall rental, grandstand capacity, vendor buildings: Not published.
• Camping or RV: No evidence found.
• Accessibility (ADA parking, paved paths, restrooms): Not published.
• First aid, ATMs: Not published.

If you’re writing for exhibitors, call the fair office on these. They’re the questions people ask most and no public page answers them.

Vendor and Exhibitor Information

Commercial and food vendors

A third-party festival directory listing for 2025 showed deadlines of August 1 for art and craft, and August 18 for music and food. That suggests applications close about five weeks before opening. Fees and booth layouts weren’t listed. Contact the fair office in spring or early summer to get on the list.

Competitive exhibits

Exhibit entry runs through the fair’s own forms on northalabamastatefair.org. Entry deadlines and the premium book weren’t confirmed for 2027.

Fair office

Phone: 256-383-3247. Website: northalabamastatefair.org. Mailing address is the same as the grounds.

Getting to Colbert County Fairgrounds

I couldn’t verify highway-by-highway directions, so use the address in a GPS app: 65 Sportsplex Drive, Muscle Shoals, AL 35661. Note that some listing sites place the fair in ZIP 35662, but the fair’s own site uses 35661. For anyone coming from the county seat, Tuscumbia, the grounds are a short drive within the Shoals. I couldn’t find public transit, fair-week shuttles, or rideshare drop-off information.

4-H and FFA at the Fairgrounds

The Alabama Cooperative Extension System’s Colbert County office coordinates livestock shows at the fair. Its 2023 listings show livestock shows at 65 Sportsplex Dr with contact Karen Crow, [email protected], (256) 386-8571. Those contact details are from 2023, so confirm they’re current.

I couldn’t find the number of active 4-H clubs, which FFA chapters exhibit, or any junior livestock auction details such as dates, bidding rules, and where proceeds go. Call the Extension office for all three.

Special Events Beyond the Fair

Besides Southern Rock Woodstock 2020 (above), I couldn’t verify a regular lineup of gun shows, rodeos, or motocross events at these grounds, and I’d rather leave that out than guess.

History of the Fairgrounds

The earliest documented fair in the county on record isn’t this one. A 1912 report in the Alabama Dispatch describes the Colbert County Colored Fair, a four-day event that opened on a Wednesday in October at a place called the Fair Grounds, with a street parade, exhibits, and talks, and thousands in attendance. The paper called it the only fair for African Americans in the state. I found no source connecting that site to today’s grounds. It’s a reminder that county fair traditions here go back more than a century and were not one event. auburn

The current fair started in the mid-1930s, with the small first-year attendance of 2,059. Whether the fair has ever been canceled, including during the pandemic, I couldn’t confirm.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the Colbert County Fair in 2026–2027?
The 2026 North Alabama State Fair ran September 14–20 in Muscle Shoals. The 2027 dates haven’t been published; expect mid-September and watch northalabamastatefair.org.

What time does Colbert County Fairgrounds open?
In 2025, gates opened at 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, noon on Saturday, and noon on Sunday, closing at 10, 10, and 6 p.m. respectively on those days. Hours can change by year.

Is there camping at Colbert County Fairgrounds?
I found no confirmed camping or RV facilities. Call the fair office at 256-383-3247 before bringing a camper.

How do I enter livestock in the fair?
Contact the Colbert County Extension office (listed in 2023 as Karen Crow, 256-386-8571) and check the fair’s website for show rules and entry forms. Confirm current contacts.

Are dogs allowed at Colbert County Fairgrounds?
I couldn’t find a published pet policy. Ask the fair office, and expect restrictions around livestock barns.

Where do I park at Colbert County Fairgrounds?
On site. Parking was free in 2025. Overflow locations aren’t published.

Who do I contact to rent the fairgrounds?
Start with the fair office at 256-383-3247. Rental rates and booking terms aren’t published online.

How much does it cost to get into the fair?
In 2025, gate admission was $10 for ages 7 and up, and rides cost extra. Free days included seniors 65+ on Sunday and kids 12 and under on Saturday until 4 p.m. 2026 advance admission was $7 online. Ride combos ran $32 in advance and $45 at the gate Tuesday through Saturday. Check current pricing before you go.

Do I need a ticket in advance?
No, but advance sales cost less. Wade Shows and the fair sell admission and ride-wristband combos online before opening day.