Franklin County Arkansas Fairgrounds Events
The fairgrounds are on North 29th Street in Ozark, Arkansas 72949. The fair association’s own listing gives the address as 724 North 29th Street with a post office box (PO Box 643). A ticketing site lists the venue at 806 North 29th Street. Both are on the same street, and I could not tell which is the physical gate address, so use the fair association’s contact information if you need a mailing address or a delivery location.
Ozark sits on US Highway 64 between Fort Smith and Clarksville, and Arkansas Highway 23 runs north from town toward Eureka Springs. The grounds are inside the city, a short drive from the downtown square.
Who Runs It
The North Franklin County Fair Association owns the identity and runs the annual fair. It describes the grounds as a year-round community site that hosts seasonal festivals, livestock shows, family fun nights, concerts, and the annual fair. The Franklin County Extension office, the county’s 4-H program, FFA advisors, and volunteers fill out the youth side. The Ozark Area Chamber of Commerce also lists the fair association among its members and posts fair events on its calendar.
How Long It’s Been Going
The Ozark Chamber’s listing for the association says it was founded in 1914. That makes the fair association more than a century old. I could not find a published acreage or a full description of the grounds layout, so I won’t guess at either.
Why It Matters Here
The association describes the fair as a tradition that celebrates agriculture, youth, creativity, and community pride. For a county where beef cattle, hogs, goats, sheep, poultry, and rabbits are still raised by 4-H and FFA kids, the fair is the one week when those projects get shown in front of the town.
Upcoming Events at Franklin County Fairgrounds
What Happens Here
Beyond the fair, the association says the grounds host:
- Seasonal festivals
- Livestock shows
- Family fun nights
- Concerts
- The North Franklin County Rodeo
I found no published list of gun shows, swap meets, flea markets, demolition derbies, tractor pulls, or motocross at this site, so I’m not listing any. If you want to run one of those, ask the association first.
Seasonal Pattern
Historically the calendar has run like this:
- Early summer: the North Franklin County Rodeo. In 2019 it was held June 7–8.
- Early August: the fair. In 2026 it ran August 1–8.
- Fall: fair-queen service projects. The 2026 queens ran a cereal drive for the Arkansas Food Bank that ended October 11.
I could not confirm a winter or spring schedule. Check before assuming anything is booked in those months.
Finding the Current Schedule
The North Franklin County Fair Association keeps an events page and posts updates on its social media. The Ozark Area Chamber of Commerce (300 West Commercial Street, 479-667-2525) also lists fair events and is staffed Monday through Friday. For youth livestock questions, the county Extension office is at 300B Airport Road in Ozark, phone 479-667-3720.
Renting the Grounds
The association says the grounds are open for community events, and it presents them as having “plenty of space” and modern amenities. I could not find a published rental rate sheet, a list of buildings available for rent, or a booking form. Contact the fair association directly for availability and pricing.
The North Franklin County Fair
Dates
The 2026 fair ran Saturday, August 1 through Saturday, August 8, billed as the North Franklin County Fair and America’s 250th Anniversary Celebration. I could not confirm the dates for other years or for 2027, so watch the association’s page. Based on 2026, early August is the likely window, but treat that as a planning guess.
Competitions and Exhibits
The 2026 listing named these categories:
- Fair pageants
- Livestock and animal shows covering cattle, hogs, goats, sheep, rabbits, and poultry
- A livestock auction
- Home economics exhibits
- Pie baking contests
- Canning and preserved foods competitions
- Arts, crafts, and creative exhibits
That covers the standard county fair lineup, and the pie and canning contests are the ones that draw the most adult entries.
Pageants
Pageants are a real part of this fair. The association names a fair queen program, and for 2026 it crowned ten queens across age divisions, with a director overseeing the program. The queens also do a service project each fall.
Midway, Food, and Entertainment
The association’s description mentions “the rides and food” and “the music and contests.” That implies a midway and food vendors, but I could not confirm which carnival company supplies the rides, how many rides there are, whether wristbands are sold, or which local nonprofits run food stands. Entertainment is billed as local talent plus concerts, but I found no published headliner list.
Admission and Parking
I could not find a published gate price, parking fee, or season pass for the fair. Don’t plan around a number you read on a third-party site. Call the association or check its page before you go.
Facilities and Grounds
Here is what I could and could not confirm.
Confirmed or strongly implied:
- Livestock facilities. The fair runs species-specific shows for cattle, hogs, goats, sheep, rabbits, and poultry, so barns or pens for those animals exist.
- An arena. The rodeo is held on the grounds, which means an arena with seating.
- Exhibit space for home economics, canning, baking, and arts exhibits.
Not confirmed:
- Number of buildings, stall counts, grandstand capacity
- RV or camping hookups
- ADA parking and accessible routes
- On-site first aid and ATMs
- Overflow parking locations
If any of those matter for your visit, call before you go.
Vendor and Exhibitor Information
Commercial Vendors
I could not find a published vendor application, booth price list, or deadline for the North Franklin County Fair. Contact the fair association at its listed address or through its social media page and ask for the vendor packet. As a rule, ask early, because vendor spaces at county fairs tend to be assigned months ahead.
Competitive Exhibits
Entries for open and youth exhibits go through the fair association’s premium book and entry process. Livestock entries for youth run through 4-H and FFA. Ask your 4-H leader, FFA advisor, or the Extension office for the current entry deadlines and animal identification requirements.
Contacts
- North Franklin County Fair Association, PO Box 643, Ozark, AR 72949
- Ozark Area Chamber of Commerce, 479-667-2525
- Franklin County Extension Office, 300B Airport Road, Ozark, 479-667-3720
Getting to Franklin County Fairgrounds
From downtown Ozark, take North 29th Street north. Anyone coming in from Fort Smith (about 40 miles west) or Clarksville (to the east) will arrive on US 64. From the Charleston side of the county, you’ll come north on Arkansas Highway 23 into Ozark. From the north, Highway 23 comes down from the Ozarks through Ozark’s north side.
I found no public transit or shuttle service to the fairgrounds, and no published rideshare drop-off zone. Ozark is a small town, so don’t count on rideshare availability. Arrange a ride in advance.
Visitors interested in Franklin County Arkansas Fairgrounds Events can also explore community gatherings through Faulkner County Arkansas Fairgrounds Events. Both counties offer opportunities to discover local traditions, enjoy seasonal activities, and find community celebrations throughout Arkansas.
4-H and FFA at the Fairgrounds
The Extension Office’s Role
The Franklin County Extension office serves Ozark, Charleston, Altus, and the rest of the county. It handles 4-H youth development and holds the county’s livestock project paperwork. Meetings for most county 4-H clubs are held in its meeting room in Ozark.
4-H Clubs
The county’s 4-H listing includes:
- Franklin Co. Livestock Country Kids 4-H Club (ages 5–19), meeting four times a year
- County Line Livestock Project Club (ages 5–19), also meeting four times a year
- A Shooting Sports Project Club
The listing does not give a total count of 4-H clubs in the county, so I’m not stating one. Call 479-667-3720 for details.
FFA
FFA members from the county’s school districts (Ozark, Charleston, Altus-Denning, and others) show animals at the fair. I could not confirm a chapter-by-chapter participation list, so ask your local ag teacher which projects are going to the fair.
Livestock Auction
The fair lists a livestock auction as part of the week. I could not find published rules on who may bid, how buyers are recognized, or how proceeds are handled. Ask the fair association or the Extension office for the current auction rules and date.
Special Events Beyond the Annual Fair
The North Franklin County Rodeo
The rodeo is the grounds’ other signature event. Rodeo directories list the North Franklin County Rodeo as established in 1959. In 2019 it ran June 7–8, and a local rodeo board president described the lineup as built around families. Highlights include:
- Two grand entries, one of them a stick-horse grand entry led by the Miss North Franklin County Rodeo Queen
- Mutton bustin’ for young kids
- A calf scramble for younger children
- A junior rodeo clown contest, judged in a rodeo parade that goes through downtown Ozark
The board said it tries to give kids free ways to take part. Confirm the current year’s dates, since I could not find a 2026 or 2027 rodeo date.
Other Uses
The association mentions seasonal festivals, family fun nights, and concerts. I did not find specific dates or names for these, and I found no evidence of regular gun shows or motocross events at this site.
Community Fundraisers
The fair queens’ cereal drive for the Arkansas Food Bank, which ran from late August through October 11, 2026, is a good example of the association’s year-round community work.
History of Franklin County Fairgrounds
The association dates itself to 1914. Beyond that I could not find a documented timeline covering when the grounds moved or were rebuilt, attendance records, notable guests, or whether the fair has ever been canceled. If you have local records from the Franklin County Historical Society or the Ozark library, that’s the place to fill in the rest.
What the record does show is continuity: a fair association more than a century old, a rodeo that has run since 1959, and a fair that still centers on livestock, baking, canning, and pageants.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Franklin County Fair in Arkansas in 2026 and 2027?
The 2026 North Franklin County Fair ran August 1–8 in Ozark. I could not confirm 2027 dates. Early August is the likely window, so watch the fair association’s page for the announcement.
What time does Franklin County Fairgrounds open?
No public gate hours were published for the 2026 fair. Hours for each day’s events are posted by the fair association, so check its page or call before heading out.
Is there camping at Franklin County Fairgrounds?
I found no published information on RV or tent camping at the North Franklin County Fairgrounds. Ask the fair association before you plan an overnight stay.
How do I enter livestock in the Franklin County Fair?
Youth livestock entries go through 4-H and FFA. Call the Franklin County Extension office at 479-667-3720 or ask your FFA advisor for the current premium book, entry deadline, and animal ID requirements. Species shown at the fair include cattle, hogs, goats, sheep, rabbits, and poultry.
Are dogs allowed at Franklin County Fairgrounds?
I found no published pet policy. With livestock on the grounds, call the fair association before bringing a dog.
Where do I park at Franklin County Fairgrounds?
Parking details, fees, and overflow areas were not published. Follow signs and any attendants on North 29th Street, and expect heavier traffic on rodeo and fair nights.
Who do I contact to rent Franklin County Fairgrounds?
Contact the North Franklin County Fair Association, PO Box 643, Ozark, AR 72949. The Ozark Area Chamber of Commerce at 479-667-2525 can also point you to the right person.
How much does it cost to get into the Franklin County Fair?
I could not find a published admission price, parking fee, or ride pricing for the North Franklin County Fair. Check the association’s page or call before you go.
How do I become a vendor at the Franklin County Fair?
Contact the fair association and request the vendor application. I found no public booth rates or deadlines.
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