Fairbanks North Star Borough Alaska Fairgrounds Events

Alaska has boroughs instead of counties, and the Fairbanks North Star Borough has one fairground: the Tanana Valley State Fairgrounds at 1800 College Road. It hosts the Tanana Valley State Fair, which is what most people mean when they search for the Fairbanks North Star Borough fair. The grounds are also used for much of the rest of the year. The fair has ended for 2026, so this guide covers what happens at the fairgrounds now and what to plan for in 2027.

Overview of Fairbanks North Star Borough Fairgrounds

Where the fairgrounds are

The fairgrounds sit at 1800 College Road, Fairbanks, AK 99709, at the corner of College Road and Aurora Drive. The Fair Association describes the site as sitting on the edge of Fairbanks. It’s a hundred-acre parcel just outside the city limits, in the College census-designated place, and the grounds share that stretch of College Road with part of Creamer’s Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge. If you’re in the borough’s urban core, you’re about ten minutes from downtown.

Who runs it

The Tanana Valley State Fair Association, a nonprofit, operates the grounds and puts on the fair. More than 1,000 volunteers help each year. The fair’s mission statement is “To Educate and Entertain.” In 2026 the Association had a new executive director, Scott Vance, and Lilli Wilcher as operations manager.

Size and history in brief

The grounds cover 100 acres, and the fair has grown from three days to ten. The full history is further down. The short version is that this is Alaska’s oldest fair, and the grounds went up in 1952.

Why it matters locally

The fair is the biggest annual gathering in the Interior. Its executive director has called it the largest community event in town and a staple of family entertainment in the Interior. A good part of its identity comes from the agriculture of a place with 20-plus hours of summer daylight. Vegetables grown under that light are the reason the Giant Cabbage Contest exists.

Upcoming Events at Fairbanks North Star Borough Fairgrounds

The big one: the Tanana Valley State Fair

The fair is covered in its own section below. It’s the anchor of the year, but not the only event.

Fall Festival

The Fall Festival, an October event, has been running for about a decade. A recent edition included hay rides, a petting zoo, face painting, a pumpkin patch set up in the Kiwanis Agricultural Hall, a carnival ride, and booths run by local nonprofits and school groups. It’s a smaller, daytime, family-oriented event. Dates and admission change from year to year, so check the Association’s website or Facebook page.

Kiwanis Christmas Tree Sale

The Kiwanis Agricultural Hall also hosts the Kiwanis Christmas Tree Sale. That makes the fairgrounds one of the few places in the borough that stays in use into the holiday season.

Horse shows, rodeos, concerts and community events

The grounds include several arenas, and the Association rents them for outside events. Sunrise Arena is marketed for concerts, festivals, sporting events and rodeos. Carroll Phillips Arena is an outdoor arena suited to equestrian events, livestock events and rodeos. I wasn’t able to confirm a recurring calendar of gun shows, swap meets, motocross or demolition derbies at these grounds, so I haven’t listed any. If you’ve seen one advertised, check it with the fair office.

How to find the current schedule

The most reliable source is the Association’s website, tvsfa.org, plus its Facebook page. You can also call the fair office at 907-452-3750 or email [email protected].

Renting the grounds

Rentable spaces include Borealis Pavilion, the Agricultural Museum, George Gasser Hall, Kiwanis Hall, Largen Barn and Delta Barn. The 4-H Community Center, Rotary Arena, Carroll Phillips Arena, Leigh Carlsen Arena, Sunrise Arena and stall rentals are also listed. The general grounds, such as the Golden Wheel Pavilion and lawn areas, can be rented too. Some examples of capacity:

• Borealis Pavilion: 25,000 square feet, occupancy 694, available May through September.
• Kiwanis Hall: 4,072 square feet, occupancy 113, suited to banquets, craft fairs and club events.
• Agricultural Museum: 1,882 square feet, occupancy 52, with ADA-accessible restrooms.

Rental prices appear to vary by listing and have changed, so I haven’t quoted them here. Get a current rate from the fair office.

Visitors interested in Fairbanks North Star Borough Alaska Fairgrounds Events can also explore regional activities through Dillingham Census Area Alaska Fairgrounds Events. Both areas provide opportunities to discover community traditions, enjoy seasonal celebrations, and experience the variety of local events available throughout Alaska.

The Fairbanks North Star Borough Fair Itself

Name, timing and theme

The fair is officially the Tanana Valley State Fair. The 2026 edition was its 102nd year, themed “All is Fair in Love and Spore.” Each year gets a new theme, color palette and flower. Dates follow a ten-day, late-July-to-early-August pattern: July 25 to August 3 in 2025 and July 31 to August 9 in 2026. The gates open at noon, and the grounds close at 10 p.m.

Competitions and contests

Three of the oldest contests go back at least to 1926: the Baby Show, Most Attractively Decorated Booth and the Giant Cabbage Contest. The Baby Show is open to children from newborn to 24 months. Exhibit halls hold arts and crafts, baked goods and quilts, and the agricultural hall displays oversized vegetables. Fairbanks’ Got Talent is a talent show with a route to Alaska’s Got Talent at the Alaska State Fair in Palmer.

Midway and rides

Opening day 2026 had rides, food trucks, games, axe throwing and horse rides. On Kids’ Day, rides were free for children under 42 inches tall. I couldn’t confirm the name of the midway operator for the main fair or whether wristband pricing is offered. The Fall Festival has used A1 Midway, but that doesn’t prove it’s the summer provider.

Food

Visitors can eat burgers, burritos, corn dogs, crepes, pitas and pizza, and there’s a beer garden. The beer garden expanded in 2026, and food eating contests are part of the entertainment. More than 300 booths are listed overall, including food.

Entertainment

Two outdoor stages offer free entertainment daily, and fireworks close out the last day. In 2026, a concert series was free with admission. The fair also featured stilt walkers, a hockey stunt show, and a new play area for young children called Tiny Town.

Admission, parking and discounts (2026 rates)

General admission was $15 for adults 15 to 59, $10 for seniors 60 and older, and $8 for youth 5 to 14. The fair says rates haven’t risen since 2022. Themed days brought discounts or free admission: free admission noon to 3 p.m. on opening day, $4 admission for youth 12 and younger on Kids’ Day, free admission for seniors on Golden Years Day, and half-price admission for active-duty military on Hometown Heroes Day.

Parking cost $3 in the main lot and the northwest-corner lot, only on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Working a three-hour volunteer shift earns free gate admission and free parking for the day. Rates for 2027 haven’t been announced.

Facilities and Grounds

Buildings and barns

The named buildings are the ones in the rental list above. The Kiwanis Agricultural Hall was built to show off crops, grains, flowers and vegetables grown in Interior Alaska. The Agricultural Museum documents the Association’s history and the idea of the Tanana Valley as the “breadbasket of the North.” At the fair, Borealis Pavilion is mostly vendor booths, displays and exhibits, and it’s a place to get out of the weather. Delta Barn and Largen Barn are the livestock barns. The Tanana District 4-H livestock auction material refers to both.

Arenas

Four arenas are rentable: Rotary, Carroll Phillips, Leigh Carlsen and Sunrise. Rotary Arena is sheltered, open floor space used for livestock shows, demonstrations and other events. I wasn’t able to find a seating capacity for any of them.

Camping and RVs

The Tanana Valley Campground and RV Park is on the fairgrounds property. It’s reached through a separate entrance on the left as you enter the fairgrounds lot. RVs longer than 35 feet won’t fit among the closely spaced black spruce, and the management recommends another park for large rigs. There are 40 sites in a wooded area, a mix of electric and non-electric. Posted rates were $100 a night for a double RV site with two 50-amp hookups, $50 for 50-amp, $40 for 30-amp, and $25 for non-electric RV or tent sites, with four people included per site. The season is May 15 through September 15, with fire pits, picnic tables, hookups, laundry, a dump station, fresh water, internet access, and restrooms with showers. To book, call 907-251-8571 or email [email protected]. Fair week fills up, so book early.

Accessibility, parking and amenities

The fair offers parking in more than one lot, as covered above. Staff collect parking fees at the front of the lot as you enter, using card readers, and the fair warned in 2026 about an unauthorized person charging for parking near the Blue Gate on non-paid days. If someone asks for money beyond the posted $3 or outside Thursday through Saturday, report it to fair staff. I couldn’t verify ADA parking locations, the paved-path layout, first aid station location, or ATM locations, so call the office before you rely on specifics. alaskasnewssource

Vendor and Exhibitor Information

Commercial vendors

The 2026 fair had more than 200 vendors, local, out-of-state and international. Vendors must submit a complete application listing all products, and the fair can refuse any application. A Vendor Booth Theme Award gives the winner a theme ribbon and 50 percent off the first booth fee at the next fair. Applications are posted on tvsfa.org under the vendor information page. For 2027 booth fees and deadlines, contact the fair office. alaskasnewssourcetvsfa

Competitive exhibits

Anyone can enter exhibits, according to the fair’s own description. Adults and kids are encouraged to enter livestock, produce, baked goods, crafts and other work. The premium book, with classes, rules and deadlines, is the document to get. I couldn’t retrieve the 2027 version, and it usually appears in the months before the fair. newsminer

Contacts

• Fair office: 907-452-3750, [email protected]
• Mailing address: Tanana Valley State Fair Association, 1800 College Road, Fairbanks, AK 99709

Getting to Fairbanks North Star Borough Fairgrounds

By car

Set your GPS to 1800 College Road. The entrance is at College Road and Aurora Drive. From downtown Fairbanks it’s about a ten-minute drive. Visitors coming up from Anchorage on the Parks Highway or arriving via the Richardson Highway pass through the Fairbanks road network before reaching College Road, so allow extra time on opening weekend.

Transit, shuttles and rideshare

A public bus stop is within walking distance of the campground. I couldn’t confirm a dedicated fair shuttle, current fair-week bus routing, or an official rideshare drop-off point. Check with the borough’s transit service and the fair office before you plan around any of these. fireflyreservations

4-H and FFA at the Fairgrounds

Fairbanks falls under the Tanana District of the 4-H program, run by the University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service. The district’s market livestock project agreement, due in February in the 2024 form, is required to take part in the 4-H and FFA Market Livestock Auction. That form says judges decide which animals qualify and that only district-issued tags and bands are permitted. uaf

Years ago, 4-H and FFA members staffed the Delta and Largen barns during the fair to talk with the public, and potential buyers were invited to a roasted-pig potluck before the auction. That account is from 2016, so treat the details as history and check the current format. I couldn’t confirm how many 4-H clubs are active in the borough, which FFA chapters take part, or how auction proceeds are handled. The Cooperative Extension Service’s Tanana District office is the best source. alaska

Special Events Beyond the Annual Fair

Besides the Fall Festival and Christmas tree sale, the grounds work as a general community venue. The Association invites organizations planning large events, festivals or nonprofit gatherings to contact them, and offers the whole fairgrounds for rent. If you run a club or nonprofit and need a space, start with the rental pages and the fair office. odoo

History of the Fairbanks North Star Borough Fairgrounds

The fair was founded July 7, 1924. The first one ran September 11 to 13, 1924, at the Moose Hall on First Avenue in downtown Fairbanks, and over the next years it moved around the downtown area, including the Masonic Temple and Fairbanks High School. tvsfa

In 1952, after a group met in March to revive the fair, the board leased forty acres from the University of Alaska on College Road. Volunteers cleared the land, dug two wells, and built pavilions, a concession booth and a band stand. The gates opened at 7 p.m. on August 21, even as carpenters and electricians were still working that morning. The fair finally had a permanent home. tvsfa

The fair has closed only twice, according to a 2022 News-Miner guide: during World War II and in 1967, when the Chena River flooded much of Fairbanks. A 2020 gap also shows up in other records, probably tied to COVID-19, so confirm that before you publish. Attendance has been described as about 100,000 visitors a year. That figure is from a 2022 guide, so I’d treat it as approximate.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the Fairbanks North Star Borough fair in 2027?

The 2027 dates haven’t been announced as far as I can find. The fair has run ten days from a Friday in late July into early August, and the dates are published on tvsfa.org.

What time does the fairgrounds open?

During the 2026 fair, gates opened at noon and the fair closed at 10 p.m. Hours outside fair week vary by event. newsminer

Is there camping at the fairgrounds?

Yes. The Tanana Valley Campground and RV Park is next to the grounds, with 40 sites, and runs roughly mid-May to mid-September. RVs over 35 feet don’t fit. Call 907-251-8571 to reserve.

How do I enter livestock?

Adults and kids can enter through the fair’s competitive exhibit process, described in the premium book. Youth in 4-H and FFA go through the Tanana District Cooperative Extension office, including the market livestock project agreement and its deadlines.

Are dogs allowed at the fairgrounds?

I couldn’t confirm the current pet policy, so check with the fair office. Fairs generally restrict pets, and service animals are typically handled separately.

Where do I park?

The fair has a main lot and a lot at the northwest corner of the grounds. In 2026, parking cost $3 Thursday through Saturday only, and a volunteer shift covers admission and parking. alaskasnewssource

Who do I contact to rent the fairgrounds?

Call 907-452-3750 or email [email protected]. Several buildings and arenas can also be booked through the Association’s rental site.

How much does it cost to get into the fair?

In 2026, general admission was $15 for adults 15 to 59, $10 for seniors 60 and over, and $8 for youth 5 to 14, with free and discounted days. The Association hasn’t announced 2027 prices.

Is there a Fairbanks fair outside summer?

Yes. The Fall Festival runs in October, and the Kiwanis Christmas Tree Sale is held in the Agricultural Hall in the holiday season.