Dallas County Alabama Fairgrounds Events

If you are looking for the Dallas County fairgrounds in Alabama, the place you want is Lions Fair Park at 2401 West Dallas Avenue in Selma. It is not a county-owned fairground with a fair board and a year-round events calendar. It is the home of the Central Alabama Fair, which the Selma Lions Club has run for roughly seven decades as its biggest fundraiser. Knowing that up front will save you a lot of frustration, because most of what gets searched as “Dallas County fair” actually points to this one week each fall.

The 2026 Central Alabama Fair is listed by the Alabama Association of Fairs for November 2-7, 2026, with Wade Shows, Inc. named as the carnival. Everything else below covers what is known about the grounds, how the fair has worked in recent years, and who to call for the details that are not published anywhere online.

Overview of the Dallas County Fairgrounds

Where Lions Fair Park is

Lions Fair Park sits at 2401 West Dallas Avenue, Selma, AL 36701. Dallas Avenue is also State Highway 22, so the fairgrounds are on one of the main east-west roads through Selma, on the west side of town. Selma is the county seat and the largest city in Dallas County, a county of roughly 975 square miles in west-central Alabama, cut diagonally by the Alabama River.

The mailing address for the fair is P.O. Box 163, Selma, AL 36701. Use the physical address for GPS and the P.O. box for mailed paperwork.

Who runs it

The grounds and the fair are run by the Selma Lions Club (Alabama District 34-C), not by the county commission, the city, or a fair association with elected board members. The club’s own page calls the Central Alabama Fair its “Number One” fundraiser, and the club meets on Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. at Lions Fair Park. Fair manager Russell Haskell is the name Selma Times-Journal coverage has used for years; the Alabama Association of Fairs lists him with the phone number 334-267-6189.

That structure matters for what you can expect. There is no permanent staff window you can walk up to in March. Most of the work happens in the months before fair week, and most communication goes through the Lions Club.

Size and layout

I could not find a published acreage figure or a site map for Lions Fair Park, and I am not going to guess one. What local reporting does confirm is an agricultural pavilion (where Alabama 4-H hosted a rabbit show during the 2024 fair) and a pavilion area where the annual Sing-Off has been staged. The rest of the layout is the usual fair arrangement of a midway, food booths, and exhibit space, but if you need dimensions or building counts for a vendor layout or an event rental, ask the fair office directly.

Why the fair matters in Dallas County

Selma is known nationally for the 1965 voting rights marches, and visitors to town tend to look at the Edmund Pettus Bridge and the historic district. The fair is the other side of Selma: the thing local families do every fall between high school and college football games. A Selma Times-Journal editorial in 2023 described it as a highly anticipated social event for Selma and Dallas County residents, and the people interviewed on opening nights over the years are often parents bringing kids to the same fair they grew up at, sometimes driving in from Birmingham just for the evening.

Money is the other reason it matters. In 2012, then fair president Scott Haskell told the Times-Journal that everything the fair earns, minus about 10 percent held back to start the next year’s fair, goes back to the community. The Lions Club is known for vision work, and coverage of the fair has tied its proceeds to eye exams and glasses for local residents.

Upcoming Events at the Dallas County Fairgrounds

The main event: Central Alabama Fair, Nov. 2-7, 2026

The Alabama Association of Fairs lists the 2026 Central Alabama Fair for November 2 through 7. A third-party fair directory had not yet updated its own 2026 dates as of its last refresh, so treat the Association listing as the best current source and confirm with the fair office.

The timing has moved. The Selma Lions Club’s own page says the fair is usually held around the first week of October, and in 2018 it ran October 2-6. More recent years look like this:

• 2023: October 30 through November 4
• 2024: October 28 through November 2
• 2025: November 3 through 8
• 2026: November 2 through 7 (per the Alabama Association of Fairs)

If you are planning around a family trip, do not rely on the “first week of October” habit from older articles.

Exploring Dallas County Alabama Fairgrounds Events can be a great starting point for discovering local fairs, agricultural exhibitions, livestock shows, community festivals, and family-friendly activities across Alabama. Visitors interested in exploring more county fairgrounds can also look into Dale County Alabama Fairgrounds Events, where local gatherings and seasonal celebrations may offer opportunities to enjoy regional traditions, connect with the community, and experience Alabama’s rural culture. Exploring both counties helps visitors discover a wider range of fairground activities and plan enjoyable outings throughout the state.

Other events at the grounds

The fair-week trunk-or-treat is the clearest additional event. The Lions Club started a Sunday trunk-or-treat as a kickoff in 2023, in partnership with the Safe Harbor Women’s Medical Clinic that year, with Selma Fire Department and local law enforcement on site for safety tips and car seat checks. In 2024 it ran 4 to 6 p.m. on the Sunday before opening night, with businesses and local organizations handing out candy and a trophy for the best trunk. It has been free to the public.

Beyond that, I could not verify a year-round schedule of gun shows, rodeos, swap meets, demolition derbies, or concerts at this location. Ticket aggregator pages list Lions Fair Park as a venue, but they show no scheduled events, which usually means the listing is an automated placeholder. If you hear about something else at the grounds, treat it as unconfirmed until the Lions Club or the organizer confirms it.

How to find the current schedule

• Call the fair manager at 334-267-6189 (the number the Alabama Association of Fairs lists).
• Check the fair’s website, which the Times-Journal has given as centralalabamafair.com, and the Selma Lions Club site, which it has given as Selmalionsclub.com.
• Watch the Selma Times-Journal and the Black Belt News Network, which have published the nightly lineup in the days before opening night each year.

Renting the grounds

I could not find a published rental policy, rate sheet, or contact form for Lions Fair Park. If you are an organizer or a church group looking for a large outdoor space, the Lions Club (not the city or county) is the party to ask. Come with the date, expected attendance, and whether you need power, water, or the pavilion.

The Central Alabama Fair Itself

Name, season, and format

The annual fair is the Central Alabama Fair. It is a six-night event, typically opening Monday and closing Saturday. In 2018 the club dropped Monday night and ran Tuesday through Saturday, then returned to the Monday-through-Saturday pattern in later years. Gates have typically opened around 5:30 p.m. on weeknights, with earlier opening on kids’ day and a 1 p.m. opening on Saturday, though that changes with the year’s schedule.

Rides and midway

The midway is a traveling carnival. For 2026, the Alabama Association of Fairs lists Wade Shows, Inc. as the carnival. On opening night in 2017 the Times-Journal counted around 20 rides, and reporting over the years has named a Ferris wheel, a Scrambler, a carousel, and a Cliff Hanger. Games for prizes are part of the midway.

Armband (unlimited ride) nights have been a long-running feature. In 2012 they were Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday. In 2018, wristbands were $20 on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday. In 2023 the unlimited armband was advertised at $25. Which nights offer armbands, and the price, are decided each year, so ask before you buy.

Food

The thing people talk about is the Cozy Dog. In 2017, the Selma Civitan Club was selling the corndogs at the gate and one visitor said her husband’s first words walking in are always “cozy dog.” By 2023, a Times-Journal editorial put the Selma Rotary Club in the Cozy Dog booth for the full week. Either the stand changed hands or reports differ, so confirm which club is running it this year if that matters to you. Funnel cake and cotton candy are the other staples that local coverage mentions.

Exhibits, pageants, and entertainment

The fair has always leaned on community entries more than on big-name acts. Recent and past features include:

• Pageants: Tiny Miss, Little Miss, Petite Miss, Young Miss, Junior Miss, and Miss Central Alabama (ages 15 to 19 in 2018), usually concentrated on opening night, midweek, and Saturday
• Central Alabama Sing-Off, hosted for years by Dixie Country radio, on Thursday night under the pavilion
• Dallas County Schools art contest exhibits
• Arts and crafts contests, including ceramics, photography, drawing, and painting, per earlier coverage
• Petting zoo and pumpkin painting
• Local performers, such as The Selma Boys, who played on Tuesday of the 2024 fair

Bigger acts have appeared. In 2007 the fair brought in country singer Doug Stone, and the lineup that year also included an exotic animal show and a hot dog eating contest. There is no sign of a regular grandstand concert series today.

Admission and kids’ day

Gate admission has been $5 or $6 in recent years: $5 in 2018 and in a late-2025 directory listing, and $6 in the 2023 and 2024 coverage. In 2018 children under 36 inches got in free; an earlier report set the free cutoff at age 5 and under. Wednesday has typically been kids’ day for students in kindergarten or first grade through 12th grade, with admission of $1 in 2024 for a child who brings a canned food item, and in earlier years free with a can for the local pantry or an item for the Selma animal shelter.

For safety, organizers adopted a clear bag policy in 2023. Check whether it applies again before you pack a diaper bag or purse.

Facilities and Grounds

Here is what I can and cannot confirm about the physical setup of Lions Fair Park.

What is confirmed

• The grounds are at 2401 West Dallas Avenue (Highway 22) in Selma.
• There is an agricultural pavilion that has hosted a 4-H rabbit show.
• There is a pavilion area used for the Sing-Off and similar stage events.
• The Lions Club holds its weekly meetings on the grounds.

What you should ask about

I found no published information on livestock barn counts, stall rental, grandstand or arena seating, camping or RV hookups, ADA parking and paved pathways, overflow parking, on-site ATMs, or first-aid stations. Those are reasonable questions for fair week visitors, especially exhibitors hauling animals and guests with mobility needs, so call 334-267-6189 and ask. If you are bringing an elderly relative or a wheelchair, ask about drop-off near the gate and where accessible parking is.

Vendor and Exhibitor Information

Commercial and craft vendors

A FestivalNet listing for the Central Alabama Fair, updated in November 2025, names the Selma Lions Club as promoter and says art and craft, music, and food vendor applications are open “until full,” meaning there is no fixed deadline. The listing gave expected attendance and vendor counts as to be announced. It lists a single stage with variety entertainment.

To apply, contact the fair manager at 334-267-6189 or write to P.O. Box 163, Selma, AL 36701. Ask for booth sizes, fees, power, setup times, and whether the Lions Club limits the number of similar food items. Because food spots go quickly at a six-night fair, ask early.

Competitive exhibits

The fair has not been a heavy livestock show. The competition angle that is documented is arts, crafts, art contests, pageants, and the Alabama 4-H rabbit show. Competition forms have been available through the fair’s website (centralalabamafair.com in the Times-Journal’s coverage). If you want to enter a pageant, ask the fair office for the age divisions and entry fees, since those change by year.

I could not find a premium book for the Central Alabama Fair. If you are a livestock exhibitor looking for a county show with stalls, judging classes, and premium money, call the fair manager first to find out what is offered this year and the Extension office for other options.

Getting to the Dallas County Fairgrounds

From downtown Selma and US-80

From US-80, which most visitors from Montgomery use, enter Selma heading west and cross the Alabama River. Dallas Avenue, which is Highway 22, is the road through town that carries you west to 2401 West Dallas Avenue. The Extension office’s published directions use the same turn: left onto Dallas Avenue at the fourth traffic light after the river.

From other directions

Selma is about 50 miles west of Montgomery on US-80, so Montgomery visitors usually make this an evening drive after work. Visitors from Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, or the Black Belt counties around Selma should plan their own route using Highway 22 and the US highways that converge on Selma.

Transit and rideshare

I found no shuttle or park-and-ride service for fair week. Rideshare drop-off arrangements are not published either. If you are not driving, call ahead.

Parking

There is no published parking fee or capacity figure. Opening-night crowds are heaviest on kids’ night and on Saturday, so arrive earlier on those nights.

4-H and FFA at the Dallas County Fairgrounds

The Extension office connection

Alabama 4-H is run through the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. The Dallas County Extension Office is at 429 Lauderdale Street in Selma (mailing address P.O. Box 40, Selma, AL 36702), phone 334-875-3200. A Times-Journal report in 2015 said the office’s regional agent worked on 4-H projects and clubs in both Dallas and Perry counties and hoped to get the county involved in livestock shows. For 4-H club schedules, project sign-ups, and anything related to the rabbit show, start there.

Alabama 4-H sponsored the rabbit show at the ag pavilion on the Tuesday of the 2024 fair. I did not find anything on a current junior livestock auction at this fair, how it works, or who can bid, and I am not going to describe one that I cannot verify.

FFA

I did not find a published list of FFA chapters participating in the Central Alabama Fair. Selma-area high school agriculture programs are worth asking about directly, and the Extension office should know which groups exhibit.

Special Events Beyond the Annual Fair

Only one is documented: the Sunday trunk-or-treat that kicks off fair week. Gun shows, rodeos, motocross, chili cook-offs, and community fundraisers may happen at other Selma venues, and Selma has plenty going on elsewhere in fall (the Alabama River Chili Cook-Off, for example, is hosted by Blackbelt Benefit Group and appears on the Times-Journal’s community calendar, not as a fairgrounds event). If someone tells you about a non-fair event at Lions Fair Park, confirm it with the organizer.

History of the Dallas County Fairgrounds

The Selma Lions Club’s fair is a mid-century institution. The Times-Journal called the 2007 fair its 51st anniversary, and counted the 2018 fair as the 62nd and the 2024 fair as the 68th. The numbering is off by about one year between the earlier and later counts, so the exact first year is somewhere in the mid-1950s.

The site has shifted in name. The Times-Journal reported the fair at Lions Fair Park on Dallas Avenue in 2007 and again in 2017 and later years, while 2012 and 2014 coverage placed it at the “Old Armory” or the “Old National Guard Armory.” That may be the same stretch of West Dallas Avenue under a different name, but verify before citing it.

In 2018, fair coordinator John Haskell said the setup would be different from what it had been for the previous 40 or 50 years, and that year the fair dropped Monday night. In 2023, a Times-Journal editorial welcomed the fair back and credited the Lions Club and fair manager Russell Haskell for hosting it for 60 years. I could not confirm whether any year was canceled or shortened by weather or the pandemic, so if you have that history, add it.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the Dallas County Fair in 2026?

The Central Alabama Fair, the main fair in Dallas County, is listed for November 2 through 7, 2026 at Lions Fair Park in Selma. Fair dates have moved around in the past few years, so confirm with the fair office.

What time does the Dallas County Fairgrounds open?

There is no daily public schedule for the grounds outside fair week. During the fair, gates have usually opened around 5:30 p.m. on weeknights, with some nights opening earlier and Saturday opening at 1 p.m. The 2026 times were not published as of this writing.

Is there camping at the Dallas County Fairgrounds?

I could not find any published camping or RV hookups at Lions Fair Park. Call the fair manager at 334-267-6189 before assuming there are any.

How do I enter livestock in the Dallas County Fair?

The documented competitions are arts and crafts, art contests, pageants, and an Alabama 4-H rabbit show at the ag pavilion. For livestock or other 4-H entries, call the Dallas County Extension Office at 334-875-3200 and the fair manager.

Are dogs allowed at the Dallas County Fairgrounds?

No pet policy is published. Fair organizers adopted a clear bag policy in 2023, so ask about the current rules for bags and animals when you call.

Where do I park at the Dallas County Fairgrounds?

The grounds are at 2401 West Dallas Avenue. No parking map or fee has been published. Expect heavier crowds on kids’ night and Saturday.

Who do I contact to rent the Dallas County Fairgrounds?

Start with the Selma Lions Club through the fair manager, 334-267-6189, or by mail at P.O. Box 163, Selma, AL 36701. The club also meets Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. at the park.

How much does it cost to get into the Dallas County Fair?

Gate admission was $6 in 2023 and 2024, with an armband advertised at $25 in 2023. A late-2025 listing said $5. Kids’ day has offered $1 admission with a canned food donation. The 2026 prices were not published; ask the fair office.