Clay County Alabama Fairgrounds Events

For Clay County fairgrounds in Alabama, the first thing to know is that the fair happens in a field, not on a standing fairgrounds complex. The Clay County Fair is a midway-and-rides event held on Highway 9 in Ashland. The county’s livestock and agriculture programs run through other venues, covered below. A lot of the results you’ll find under this search are about Clay County, Florida, which is a different fair on a different fairground.

Overview of Clay County Fairgrounds

Where the fair is held

The fair is held at 85240 Highway 9, Ashland, AL 36251. The Clay Times Journal described the spot in 2024 as the fair’s usual location, in the field across from Ashland Church of God. Ashland is the county seat, and AL-9 runs through its downtown. It’s about six miles to Lineville, the county’s largest city, and about twenty miles southwest to Goodwater.

Ashland sits at roughly 1,130 feet, the highest-elevation county seat in Alabama. In April the fair field can be cool at night even when the afternoons are warm.

Who runs it

The Clay County Chamber of Commerce handles vendor applications and sponsorships. Its office is at 85588 Highway 9, about halfway between Lineville and Ashland. The phone is 256-396-2828, and the mailing address is P.O. Box 85, Lineville, AL 36266. The Chamber also keeps an information kiosk in the courthouse on the Ashland square.

What it means locally

Clay County has about 14,200 residents spread over 606 square miles, with no interstate and a lot of poultry and cattle country. For many families the fair is the one week a year when carnival rides come to town.

Upcoming Events at Clay County Fairgrounds

Because the fair field isn’t a year-round venue, don’t expect a monthly calendar of rodeos, gun shows, or derbies there. I found no record of any of those at the Highway 9 site, and I’m not going to list them to fill space.

When the next fair is

Past dates give a pattern. A vendor form listed April 15–18, 2020, and the 2024 fair ran April 10–13. Both were Wednesday through Saturday in mid-April. The Chamber announces dates each year, and the 2026 fair has already passed, so the next one to plan around is spring 2027.

Where to find the schedule

The Chamber’s website (alabamaclaycounty.com) has an events page that includes a Clay County Fair listing, and the Chamber also uses Facebook. For a quick answer, call 256-396-2828 or email [email protected]. The Clay Times Journal ran a “fair next week” notice in 2024, so local news is a useful backup.

Clay County Alabama Fairgrounds Events and Clarke County Alabama Fairgrounds Events both offer opportunities for local communities to come together and enjoy fairs, agricultural exhibitions, family-friendly activities, and seasonal celebrations. While Clay County Alabama Fairgrounds Events may attract visitors interested in local traditions, livestock shows, and community gatherings, Clarke County also provides opportunities to explore regional fairs and entertainment. Comparing events in both counties helps visitors discover more local activities, plan enjoyable outings, and experience the unique community spirit of Alabama’s fairgrounds.

Other agricultural events in the county

These don’t happen at the fair field, but they matter to anyone searching for ag events here:

• Clay County Livestock, Inc. is a livestock auction market at 1050 Airport Road in Ashland (256-354-2276). The Alabama Cooperative Extension System has used the site for programs, including a pasture and weed walk scheduled for October 14, 2026, with a weed specialist covering identification and herbicide recommendations. Livestock sale days and show events should be confirmed with the market directly.
• Clay County Extension Office, 93 County Road 31, Ashland (256-354-5976), is behind the courthouse square and lists county programs.

The Clay County Fair Itself

Rides and midway

The fair is run with a traveling fair company. The 2020 vendor form states that the fair company sells its own food items and that no competing vendors are allowed.

Food

The vendor form lists the company’s items: Polish and Italian sausage, hamburgers, corn dogs, candy apples, cotton candy, funnel cakes, and snow cones. Expect that lineup.

Competitions and exhibits

I could not find a published premium book, livestock show schedule, or home-economics competition tied to the Highway 9 fair. If you’re planning to enter animals, crops, or baked goods, ask the Chamber and the Extension Office whether any exhibits exist this year rather than assuming it works like a traditional county fair.

Admission and parking

No current admission price, parking fee, or senior/child policy turned up in my searches. Ask the Chamber before you go.

Facilities and Grounds

This is where Clay differs most from fairgrounds in other counties. I found no documentation of permanent exhibit halls, species-specific barns, a grandstand, RV hookups, or on-site camping at the fair site. Bring cash in case no ATM is nearby, and assume the ground is a field, which matters after rain.

Camping in the area is mostly in Cheaha State Park, which is partly in Clay County, and around Lake Wedowee on the county’s eastern edge. Confirm availability with those operators directly.

Vendor and Exhibitor Information

Commercial vendors and sponsors

The 2020 form shows how it works:

• Applications are mailed with a check payable to the Clay County Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 85, Lineville, AL 36266.
• Where several vendors sell the same product, space is first come, first served.
• Food vendors can’t compete with items the fair company already sells (see the list above).
• Sponsorships that year were $325 (Silver) and $200 (Bronze).

Those figures are from 2020 and may have changed, so request the current form from the Chamber.

Competitive exhibitors

Contact the Extension Office at 256-354-5976, since it coordinates youth agricultural programs in the county. Ask specifically whether there is a fair-linked exhibit or livestock component and when entries are due.

Getting to Clay County Fairgrounds

From Ashland

Take AL-9 out of downtown toward Lineville. The fair field is at 85240 Highway 9, and the Chamber office at 85588 Highway 9 is further along the same highway. Confirm landmarks locally before your first trip.

From Lineville

Lineville is about six miles northeast of Ashland on AL-9.

From Birmingham, Montgomery, and the Lake Martin area

The Extension Office’s own directions give a good route from the south: turn north off US-280 onto AL-49 at Dadeville, follow it to AL-77, and turn west into Ashland. From Goodwater, AL-9 comes up from the southwest. Cell service in the hills can be spotty, so screenshot your route.

Transit

I found no public transit or fair-week shuttle in Clay County. Plan to drive.

4-H and FFA in Clay County

The Clay County Extension Office, run through Auburn University and Alabama A&M, is the contact for 4-H and youth ag programs. I couldn’t verify the number of active 4-H clubs, which FFA chapters participate in the fair, or whether a junior livestock auction exists. Don’t take those details from any other site without confirming them with the Extension Office.

Special Events Beyond the Annual Fair

I found no confirmed gun shows, swap meets, rodeos, or motocross events at the fair site. Local organizations such as the Exchange Club and the Lineville Merchants Association hold community events around the county, but those are separate from the fair field. Check the Chamber’s calendar before assuming any event happens there.

History of the Clay County Fair

The county was formed on December 7, 1866, from parts of Randolph and Talladega Counties, and Ashland was incorporated in 1871. Ashland was once a graphite mining center. I could not find a documented founding date for the fair, attendance records, or past cancellations. The 2020 fair listed on the vendor form fell in the first pandemic spring. Local history could be filled in by the Clay Times Journal archives or the Chamber.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the Clay County Fair in 2026–2027?
The 2026 fair has passed. Recent years ran Wednesday through Saturday in mid-April (April 10–13 in 2024). The Chamber announces the 2027 dates each year, so call 256-396-2828 for confirmation.

Where is the Clay County Fair held in Alabama?
At 85240 Highway 9 in Ashland, in a field across from Ashland Church of God.

What time does the fair open?
Gate hours weren’t published anywhere I could find. The Chamber can confirm daily hours.

Is there camping at the fair?
No on-site camping is documented. Cheaha State Park and the Lake Wedowee area are the nearest options.

How do I enter livestock?
No fair livestock entry process is published. Contact the Extension Office at 256-354-5976 first. Clay County Livestock at 256-354-2276 handles auction-market sales.

Are dogs allowed?
No policy is published. Ask the Chamber, and expect crowds and midway noise to be hard on pets.

Where do I park?
Parking is on the field itself, but I couldn’t confirm the layout or fee.

Who do I contact to be a vendor?
The Clay County Chamber of Commerce at 256-396-2828, [email protected], or P.O. Box 85, Lineville, AL 36266.

How much does it cost to get in?
No current price was published. Ask the Chamber.

Is there a Clay County fairgrounds with year-round events?
Not in Clay County, Alabama as far as I could find. Searches often return Clay County, Florida, which does have one.