Clarke County Alabama Fairgrounds Events

The grounds are in Jackson, the largest city in Clarke County, in the southern part of the county near the Tombigbee River. Local newspaper coverage over the years has placed the fairgrounds on Highway 43 at Stanley Drive. An older report described the site as being behind the Jackson Steakhouse. Businesses change, so use Stanley Drive and U.S. 43 as your landmarks and let your phone’s map app handle the final turn.

The county seat is Grove Hill, but the fair is not held there. Jackson is the population center of the county, which is why the fair settled here.

Who runs it

The fair is organized by the Greater Clarke-Washington Counties Fair Association Inc., a nonprofit based in Jackson. Federal records show it has been tax-exempt since March 1976. The Jackson Area Rotary Club sponsors the fair, and newspaper coverage consistently describes the fair board and Rotary hosting the nightly programs together. As of the most recent coverage we found, the fair board president is Becky Chastain.

The association’s mailing address is P.O. Box 551, Jackson, AL 36545. That is a mailing address, not a gate, so don’t use it for navigation.

Why it is called Greater Clarke-Washington

The fair serves two counties. Washington County, to the west, shares the fair, and contestants in several competitions have to be from Clarke or Washington County. In 2025 the fair’s Special Needs Day also invited students and adults from Choctaw County. For many families in the lower Tombigbee region, this is the one fair within easy driving distance, which is why the guest list stretches across county lines.

Size and layout

We could not find a published acreage figure or a facility map. What coverage does describe is an outdoor midway with a large red-and-white-striped “Big Tent” at the center, which is where most nightly programs happen. There is also a tent area used for the 4-H dairy show. If you need exact dimensions for a vendor layout or a rental, ask the fair association directly.

The Annual Fair: Greater Clarke-Washington Counties Fair

When it is held

The pattern is consistent: late October into early November, starting on a Friday and running about nine days. Recent years show it clearly.

• 2021: Friday, Oct. 29 through Saturday, Nov. 6 (the return after the 2020 cancellation)
• 2022: Friday, Oct. 28 through Saturday, Nov. 5
• 2025: Friday, Oct. 24 through Saturday, Nov. 1

The fair has been closed on Sundays in the years we checked. We could not find an official announcement of the 2026 dates. Based on the pattern, the 2026 fair most likely opens in the second half of October or the first days of November, which means it may be only days or a couple of weeks away as you read this. Check the fair’s social media pages and the Clarke County Democrat or South Alabamian, which usually publish the schedule in the week before opening.

Gate hours and admission

Gates have typically opened at 5 p.m. on weeknights, with Saturday matinees opening at noon. In 2021 and 2022, general admission was $5, and K-12 students paid $3 during a Saturday afternoon window (noon to 4:30 p.m.). We could not confirm the 2025 or 2026 gate price from the coverage we could read, so treat $5 as a historical figure and confirm before you go.

Rides, armbands, and Midnight Madness

The midway is run by a traveling carnival company, and the vendor has changed over the years. Mississippi Delta Shows ran the rides in 2022 and in earlier years, and James Gang Amusement ran them in another earlier year. We could not confirm who is running the 2026 midway.

In 2025, local coverage described classic carnival rides including a Ferris wheel, swings, a merry-go-round, a Tilt-A-Whirl, a giant slide, and the Zipper, which locals treat as a favorite. Game booths offered prizes from stuffed animals to live goldfish.

Ambands are the usual way to ride. The 2025 armband prices, as published by the South Alabamian, were:

• Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, 5 to 10 p.m.: $20
• Wednesday, 5 to 10 p.m.: $15
• Friday, 5 to 11 p.m.: $25
• Saturday, noon to 5 p.m.: $20
• Saturday, 5 to 11 p.m.: $25

In 2021 and 2022, the Friday “Midnight Madness” window ran from 10 p.m. to midnight with $13 armbands. Prices have moved up since, and the schedule format shifted, so don’t assume last year’s pricing carries over.

When exploring local fairs, agricultural exhibitions, and community gatherings across Alabama, Clarke County Alabama Fairgrounds Events offer an opportunity to discover the region’s rural traditions, family-friendly entertainment, and seasonal activities. Similarly, Choctaw County Alabama Fairgrounds Events provide opportunities to enjoy community celebrations, local exhibits, agricultural activities, and entertainment for visitors of all ages. Exploring events in both counties can help families and travelers discover more of Alabama’s community spirit while enjoying unique local experiences throughout the year.

Competitions and nightly programs

This is not a livestock-heavy fair by the standards of Midwest county fairs, but it has a real youth and community program. Items that have appeared in recent schedules include:

• 4-H Chick Chain Show and Auction, held under the Big Tent on the first Saturday in 2022
• Clarke County 4-H Dairy Show, held in the south tent area in 2022
• Pageants: a Little Miss Fair Queen Pageant for girls through age 9, a Junior Miss Pageant for ages 10 to 17, and the Miss Clarke-Washington Fair Queen Pageant for senior girls. Pageant entries are limited to contestants from Clarke and Washington counties.
• Cheerleader competition or exhibition held at the Jackson High School gym in some years
• Live music under the Big Tent, which has included local performers
• Special themed nights, including Halloween night and a children’s day with discounted admission in earlier years

We found no published reports of the large-scale crop, canning, baking, photography, and woodworking exhibit halls you see at some Alabama county fairs, such as the Jackson County fair in Scottsboro. If you want to enter home-economics-style items, ask the fair association whether those classes exist this year before you spend time preparing an entry.

Special Needs Day

One tradition worth knowing about: on Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025, the fair held Special Needs Day from 9 a.m. to noon, free of charge, for students and adults with special needs from Clarke, Washington, and Choctaw counties. It was sponsored by Coca-Cola, and volunteers served drinks, hot dogs, popcorn, and other snacks while guests enjoyed the rides and games before the regular crowds arrived. Board president Becky Chastain described it as making sure everyone in the community can experience the fair. If someone in your family would benefit from a quieter fair visit, this is the event to ask about.

Food

Coverage mentions standard midway fare such as hot dogs and popcorn, plus whatever vendors set up each year. We found no documented signature dish tied to this fair. The Rotary and Interact clubs also run booths, with raffle proceeds in past years going to the Jackson Rotary Club Scholarship Fund. That is a good reason to buy a ticket, since the money stays local.

Upcoming Events at Clarke County Fairgrounds

The annual fair is the headline event and the only one we could verify as a recurring fairgrounds event in Jackson. We did not find a public year-round calendar of rodeos, tractor pulls, gun shows, swap meets, or concerts at this site, and we are not going to invent one.

Finding the current schedule

The fair association does not publish a full-featured events calendar that we could find. The most reliable current sources are:

• The fair’s social media pages, which are the first place nightly programs and ride vendors are announced
• The Clarke County Democrat (clarkecountydemocrat.com) and the South Alabamian (southalabamian.com), which have run a fair preview every year, typically in the week before opening
• The Jackson Area Rotary Club, which sponsors the event
• The Alabama Cooperative Extension System office for Clarke County in Grove Hill, for 4-H entry information

Other things happening in the county this season

If you are planning a fall trip and the fair is only part of it, a few other events have drawn crowds in recent years. The Alabama Wildlife Federation’s Southwest Alabama Wild Game Cookoff was held in Grove Hill on Nov. 6 in 2025, its ninth year, and the Jackson Fire Department won best overall dish that year. Trunk-or-treat events pop up around the county in late October, and the City of Jackson has a published fall and Christmas lineup each year. None of these are fairgrounds events as far as we could confirm, so check each one separately.

Renting the grounds

We could not find a published rental policy, fee schedule, or booking form for the McMullan Fairgrounds. If you are an organizer asking whether you can hold a swap meet, benefit, or private event there, the right first move is a written inquiry to the fair association at P.O. Box 551, Jackson, AL 36545, or a message through its social media page. Ask about availability outside fair season, electrical and water access, restroom facilities, and insurance requirements.

Facilities and Grounds

Here is what we can say with confidence, and what you will have to ask about.

Confirmed from local coverage: an open midway, the red-and-white Big Tent used for programs and some 4-H shows, and a south tent area used for the dairy show.

Not confirmed in anything we could find: the number of permanent exhibit buildings, species-specific barns, stall rental procedures, grandstand or arena seating, RV hookups or camping, paved pathways, ADA parking specifics, ATMs, and on-site first aid.

If accessibility matters for your visit, call ahead. Midway grounds are often grass or gravel, and that can be hard on wheelchairs and strollers. Service animals are generally allowed under federal law. Whether pets are allowed on the grounds is a policy question for the fair board.

Parking

We found no published parking fee or lot map. Expect heavy traffic on Friday nights and Saturdays, when the fair stays open latest and draws the biggest crowds. Arrive early if you are bringing a group, and plan to walk a bit.

Vendor and Exhibitor Information

Commercial vendors and food booths

There is no public vendor application page that we could find. Vendors who want a booth should contact the fair association by mail or through its social media page, ask who handles vendor space, and ask about booth fees, electrical hookups, and health department requirements for food. Alabama county health departments generally regulate temporary food service, so ask the Clarke County Health Department about permits well before the fair.

Community groups and nonprofits are a regular part of fair-night programming, and the Rotary and Interact clubs run booths, so a local civic group that wants a presence should ask early.

Competitive entries

4-H entries, including the Chick Chain and dairy show, go through the Clarke County office of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. Entry deadlines and eligibility rules are set by the program each year. Pageant registration happens at the grounds on the day of each event in past years, with registration windows posted in the schedule. Pageants are for Clarke and Washington County residents only.

We found no public premium book for the Jackson fair. If you want to enter anything outside 4-H and the pageants, ask the fair association whether open-class entries are accepted.

Getting to Clarke County Fairgrounds

The fairgrounds are in Jackson, off U.S. Highway 43 at Stanley Drive. U.S. 43 and U.S. 84 are the two main highways in Clarke County and cross at Grove Hill, so most visitors come in by one of them.

• From Grove Hill (county seat): take U.S. 43 south into Jackson, then look for Stanley Drive.
• From Thomasville: U.S. 43 runs through Thomasville as well, so you can follow it south through Grove Hill to Jackson. Confirm the route in your map app before leaving.
• From Mobile and the Gulf Coast: use U.S. 43 north toward Jackson.
• From Chatom and Washington County: use your map app to pick the best route to Jackson. This fair is shared with Washington County, so expect a lot of traffic from that direction.

We found no public transit or shuttle service tied to the fair. Rideshare service in a small town like Jackson is thin, so if you are relying on a ride home late at night, arrange it ahead of time.

4-H and FFA at Clarke County Fairgrounds

The extension office role

The Alabama Cooperative Extension System runs 4-H, and each county has an office. Clarke County’s is in Grove Hill. Extension staff have an aces.edu email address, which is how most contact happens. For the fair, extension is the first stop for 4-H members who want to show birds in the Chick Chain or animals in the dairy show.

Chick Chain

The 4-H Chick Chain is a statewide youth poultry project. Youth raise birds and bring them to be judged. At the Jackson fair, the show and auction have taken place under the Big Tent. If you are a family considering joining, ask the extension office in the spring, since Chick Chain projects start long before fair week.

FFA and the junior auction

Clarke County has several public high schools, including those in Jackson, Grove Hill, and Thomasville, and local FFA participation should be confirmed with each school’s agriculture teacher. We could not verify which chapters take part in the fair each year, how many 4-H clubs are active in the county, or how auction proceeds are divided. The Chick Chain auction is the only junior sale we could verify, and proceeds in such auctions typically go to the youth exhibitors. Ask the extension office to confirm how it works this year.

Special Events Beyond the Annual Fair

We could not confirm gun shows, rodeos, motocross, or concert series at the McMullan Fairgrounds. Anything beyond the fair itself appears to be small and community-driven. The fair association and the Jackson Area Rotary Club are the right people to ask whether the grounds will host something else this season.

History of Clarke County Fairgrounds

Clarke County was established on Dec. 10, 1812, and the county seat moved to what became Grove Hill in the 1830s, so the area’s agricultural roots run deep. Timber and farming shaped the county, and the Tombigbee and Alabama rivers form its boundaries.

The fair association behind the Jackson fair has been recognized as a nonprofit since 1976, so the organization is at least that old. We could not find a documented founding year for the fair itself or the story of Cecil E. McMullan, for whom the fairgrounds are named. The Clarke County Democrat archives and the Clarke County Historical Museum in Grove Hill would be the places to look.

The one well-documented disruption is 2020. The fair was canceled that year because of the coronavirus pandemic. It returned on Oct. 29, 2021, and ran two full weekends, through Nov. 6.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the Clarke County Fair in 2026?

The Greater Clarke-Washington Counties Fair has run in late October into early November in recent years, opening on a Friday and closing the following Saturday. In 2025 it ran Oct. 24 to Nov. 1. We could not find official 2026 dates, so check the fair’s social media pages or the Clarke County Democrat for the announcement.

What time does Clarke County Fairgrounds open?

During the fair, gates have typically opened at 5 p.m. on weeknights and at noon on Saturdays. Outside of fair week, there is no public schedule for the grounds.

Is there camping at Clarke County Fairgrounds?

We found no published information on camping or RV hookups at the McMullan Fairgrounds. Call the fair association before planning to stay overnight.

How do I enter livestock in the Clarke County Fair?

The documented livestock-type entries are 4-H shows, including the Chick Chain and the dairy show. Contact the Clarke County office of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System in Grove Hill for rules and deadlines.

Are dogs allowed at Clarke County Fairgrounds?

We could not find a published pet policy. Service animals are generally permitted under federal law. For pets, ask the fair board before you bring one.

Where do I park at Clarke County Fairgrounds?

No parking map or fee has been published that we could find. The grounds are off U.S. 43 at Stanley Drive in Jackson. Come early on Friday and Saturday nights.

Who do I contact to rent Clarke County Fairgrounds?

Contact the Greater Clarke-Washington Counties Fair Association Inc., P.O. Box 551, Jackson, AL 36545, or reach it through its social media page. The Jackson Area Rotary Club, which sponsors the fair, is another route to the right person.

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

General admission was $5 in 2021 and 2022, with a $3 K-12 rate during Saturday afternoon windows. In 2025, ride armbands cost $15 to $25 depending on the night and time slot. Confirm current gate prices before you go.

What is Special Needs Day at the fair?

It is a free morning session, held from 9 a.m. to noon on the Wednesday of fair week in 2025, for students and adults with special needs from Clarke, Washington, and Choctaw counties. Rides, snacks, and games are provided at no charge.

Is the Clarke County Fair the same as the Clarke County Fair in Virginia?

No. The Virginia fair is held in Berryville in August. The Alabama fair is the Greater Clarke-Washington Counties Fair in Jackson, held in the fall.