Gila County Arizona Fairgrounds Events

The Gila County Fairgrounds sit just north of Globe on US 60, at 900 E. Fairgrounds Road, Globe, AZ 85501. Globe is the county seat, and the grounds are about a ten-minute drive from the historic downtown on Broad Street. They are in the Globe-Miami copper district, not in the pine country around Payson. Payson is the other population center in the county and runs its own fair, covered further down.

Who runs the grounds and who runs the fair

Two separate groups are involved, and the difference matters when you need to reach someone.

• The grounds belong to Gila County. Day-to-day management sits with the county’s Facilities Management office in Globe, under Public Works and ultimately the Board of Supervisors. They handle facility rentals, event applications, and the RV park.
• The fair belongs to Gila County Fair, Inc. It is a volunteer organization with a board and committees for entertainment, livestock, entries and awards, vendors, and marketing. Its meeting schedule, agendas, and minutes are posted on the fair’s website, and it recruits new volunteers every year.

Call the county for a rental. Contact the fair board for anything about fair week.

What’s on the property

The first fair was held in 1970 with a grandstand, some wooden horse corrals, and a race track. The fairgrounds now include:

• a rodeo arena and grandstand
• multiple exhibit halls, including the Boice Exhibit Hall used for fair entries
• livestock sheds and horse stalls
• a commercial building
• a go-cart track
• grounds set aside for motocross and ATV events
• a county-run RV park

The county’s rental application lists these facilities individually, which tells you how many different uses the property handles in a year.

Why it matters locally

For a small county with mining at its center, the fairgrounds are one of the few places where ranch families, miners, 4-H kids, rodeo hands, and school groups all end up on the same property. The 2026 fair theme, “Shine By The Mine,” tied the event back to the copper industry that built Globe and Miami.

Upcoming Events at Gila County Fairgrounds

The grounds host events across the year, though fair week in September is the one most people plan around. Based on recent calendars, these are the kinds of events you will see.

Fall: The Gila County Fair is the big one. It was held September 9–12 in 2026.

Winter: The Gila County Gem and Mineral Show fills the indoor space in mid-January. It was held January 16–18, 2026, and the next one is listed for January 15–17, 2027. The club behind it dates to 1954 and meets monthly in Miami.

Spring: STEM Fest was held at the fairgrounds on April 11, 2026. Gila Monster Raceway used the grounds for a memorial race on May 15, 2026.

Summer: Livestock tagging and banding days for 4-H and FFA exhibitors take place on the grounds. There are also shooting sports events. The University of Arizona 4-H air rifle and pistol match was held here in August 2025.

Past events have also included motorsports gatherings. The Gila Monster UTV Fest used the grounds in 2021, and organizers called the venue a good fit.

How to find the current schedule

The most reliable sources are:

• the Gila County Fair’s official website
• its Facebook and Instagram pages
• the Gila County Facilities Management office at (928) 402-4368, Monday through Friday

Calendar aggregators often carry stale dates, so go to one of these before you plan a trip.

Renting the fairgrounds

The county rents the facilities to outside groups. Past examples include:

• a hospital foundation’s art and wine auction in the exhibit hall
• a cattle growers’ association holiday dinner-dance and ranching tribute
• a rodeo committee’s barrel race in the arena

The process runs through a written use application. County rules have asked for applications about 60 to 90 days ahead, depending on the size of the event. Larger events go before the Board of Supervisors. Nonprofits can request a fee adjustment, which also goes to the board. Plan on insurance requirements, a cleaning fee, and a key deposit. If you rent, ask the facilities office which tier your event falls under before you promise a date to anyone.

The Gila County Fair

Name, timing, and format

The event is the Gila County Fair, and it runs Wednesday through Saturday in September. The recent pattern:

Year	Dates
2025	September 17–20
2026	September 9–12 (the fair’s 57th)

The 2027 dates had not been announced when this was written. The fair board posts them on its website and social pages, usually well ahead of the entry deadlines.

Recent listings show the grounds opening Wednesday and Thursday at 5 p.m. and Friday and Saturday at 11 a.m., with evening hours running late on the weekend. Treat that as the typical rhythm and check the posted schedule for the current year.

Visitors interested in Gila County Arizona Fairgrounds Events can also explore community celebrations through Coconino County Arizona Fairgrounds Events. Both counties provide opportunities to discover local traditions, enjoy family-friendly activities, and explore seasonal gatherings while experiencing different communities throughout Arizona.

Competitive exhibits

The exhibit side is open to county residents and covers the traditional categories: arts and crafts, photography, culinary entries like pies and jams, and floriculture with fresh flowers and arrangements. The fair publishes a premium book every year with the classes and rules. Youth exhibitors have a poster requirement that is posted alongside the entry rules.

Here is how the 2026 entry timeline worked, so you know what to expect for 2027:

• Mid-August: online and in-person entry deadline. In-person entries were taken at the Globe-Miami Chamber of Commerce.
• Late August: exhibit receiving and judging in the Boice Exhibit Hall at the fairgrounds, except culinary and floriculture.
• Day before the fair: culinary and fresh floral entries received early in the morning.

When you create your online entry login, use the exhibitor’s name and mailing address.

Livestock

Livestock is run through its own department with its own entry system. Categories include steers, swine, lambs, goats, small stock such as rabbits and poultry, and horses, with horse show patterns published in advance. Tagging and banding days are scheduled months ahead. In 2026, steers were tagged in mid-May and swine, lambs, and goats in July, with make-up sessions for each. Rules are posted separately for large livestock and small stock, and 4-H and FFA market animal insurance information is on the livestock page.

Rodeo, motorsports, and entertainment

The grandstand and arena carry most of the entertainment. The 2026 lineup included:

• a ranch rodeo with broncs and steers
• a PRCA-style rodeo with bull riding and bronc riding
• mud drags, freestyle motocross, and monster trucks
• democross and BMX riding
• mutton bustin’ for the little kids
• longhorn shows

Live bands round out the schedule. The “Be an Entertainer” page on the fair’s website is the starting point for local acts who want a slot.

Food and the midway

The fair’s own vendor page says food is the number one reason people come through the gates, and listings have counted about two dozen food booths. A carnival has been a regular part of the fair, though not every year. In 2021, the fair went on without one. Ride counts and wristband pricing depend on the carnival company contracted for that year, so look for those details when the entertainment page is updated.

Admission

Gate prices vary by day and by what is bundled. Third-party listings have shown a range from $5 to $20. The fair posts its current prices and any free or discounted categories on its website and Facebook page shortly before opening.

Facilities and Grounds

Exhibit halls. The Boice Exhibit Hall is the main indoor space for fair entries. Other halls and a commercial building handle vendors and events.

Livestock barns. The grounds have livestock sheds and horse stalls. Exhibitors reserve space through the livestock department, and tagging days are when most of that gets sorted out.

Arena and grandstand. The rodeo arena and grandstand host the fair’s main events and outside rentals. Seating capacity is not published, so ask the facilities office if you are planning a ticketed event.

Go-cart track and motorsports areas. The go-cart track hosts organized racing, and separate grounds are set aside for ATV and motocross use.

Camping. The county runs an RV park on the fairgrounds for temporary stays. There is a box at the entrance for the rental application and fee, and the facilities office handles questions. Fair week fills up, so call ahead.

Accessibility. The facilities office is the right contact for ADA parking, pathways, and restroom questions. The fair board can also tell you which areas are easiest to reach during fair week.

Parking. Parking is on the grounds. Fair staff direct overflow during the busiest nights, which are typically Friday and Saturday.

Vendor and Exhibitor Information

Vendors

The fair takes applications for food and beverage vendors and for commercial vendors. Both closed for 2026, and a new vendor handbook was introduced that year. Applications for 2027 should open well ahead of the fair, so contact the vendor coordinator early. Vendor questions go to [email protected]. Sponsorship is a separate track. Sponsors reach several thousand attendees over four days, and their logos can ride on the prize roping trailer.

Exhibitors

Use the premium book for class lists and rules, then enter online through the fair’s entry system. Contact the fair board at [email protected] or P.O. Box 906, Globe, AZ 85502.

Getting to Gila County Fairgrounds

Globe sits at the junction of US 60 and State Route 188 in east-central Arizona, and the fairgrounds are a short drive north of town on US 60.

• From Phoenix and the East Valley: Take US 60 east through Superior. Globe is roughly 90 miles from Phoenix.
• From Payson and Tonto Basin: Take AZ 87 south, then State Route 188 south past Roosevelt Lake into Globe.
• From Miami: The fairgrounds are a few miles west and north on US 60.
• From Show Low and the White Mountains: Take US 60 through the Salt River Canyon and into Globe.

There is no public transit or shuttle service tied to the fair. Rideshare options are limited in the Globe-Miami area, so plan on driving.

4-H and FFA at Gila County Fairgrounds

The fair is where a year of work by 4-H and FFA members pays off. The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension office in Globe coordinates 4-H in the county. Clubs, such as Tonto Basin 4-H, and FFA chapters, such as Globe FFA, have appeared in junior livestock sale results.

The Junior Livestock Auction. Market animals are sold at the end of fair week, and the sale has historically been held on the final day. Members who raise swine, lambs, goats, steers, and small stock prepare for months. Buyers are mostly local businesses, ranches, and families who bid to support the kids. Proceeds go to the exhibitors, usually to pay off project costs and fund the next year’s animals.

Shooting sports. The grounds also host 4-H air rifle and pistol matches. The 2025 fall match ran August 22–23.

Special Events Beyond the Annual Fair

• Gem and mineral show. Mid-January, indoors.
• Racing. Go-cart events through Gila Monster Raceway, including a memorial race in May 2026.
• Rodeo and horse events. Arena rentals and barrel races by local rodeo groups.
• Motorsports. UTV and ATV events on the grounds.
• Community events. STEM Fest, fundraisers, and organization dinners in the exhibit hall.
• Concerts. Touring acts have played the fairgrounds, per concert listings.

History of Gila County Fairgrounds

The first Gila County Fair was held in 1970. The fairgrounds started with only a grandstand, some old wooden horse corrals, and a race track. Over the decades, it grew to include the rodeo arena, exhibit halls, go-cart track, and RV park.

In 2020, the fair was canceled for the first time in its history because of the pandemic. Organizers, 4-H leaders, and FFA advisors then put together a virtual junior livestock show and an online auction on September 26, so the kids who had raised animals all year still got to sell them. The 2021 fair went ahead in September without a carnival, and the 2026 fair was billed as the 57th.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the Gila County Fair in 2026–2027?

The 2026 fair ran September 9–12. The 2027 dates had not been announced at the time of writing. The fair has been held in September in recent years, in a Wednesday-through-Saturday format.

What time does Gila County Fairgrounds open?

Recent fair-week hours were 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Hours for other events depend on the event.

Is there camping at Gila County Fairgrounds?

Yes. The county runs an RV park on the grounds for temporary stays. Fees apply, and the rental application is filled out at the box by the park entrance. For questions, call the Facilities Management office at (928) 402-4368 on weekdays.

How do I enter livestock in the Gila County Fair?

Enter through the fair’s livestock entry system after reading the livestock premium book and rules. Animals must be tagged or banded on the posted tagging days, which in 2026 were in May for steers and July for swine, lambs, goats, and small stock. 4-H and FFA exhibitors also need market animal insurance and a completed livestock story card.

Are dogs allowed at Gila County Fairgrounds?

Plan on leaving pets at home during fair week. September afternoons are hot, and the midway and livestock areas are crowded. Service animals are permitted under federal law.

Where do I park at Gila County Fairgrounds?

Parking is on the fairgrounds, and staff direct overflow parking during peak evenings. Arrive early on Friday and Saturday.

Who do I contact to rent Gila County Fairgrounds?

Contact the Gila County Facilities Management office in Globe at (928) 402-4368. You will submit a fairgrounds use application, and larger events need more lead time and board approval.

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

Third-party listings have shown prices from $5 to $20, depending on the day and options. The fair posts current prices on its website and Facebook page before opening.

Is the Northern Gila County Fair held at the same place?

No. The Northern Gila County Fair is a separate fair at the Payson Event Center on Highway 87 in Payson. It has run since 1955 and was held October 1–3 in 2026. Make sure you are looking at the right fair when you search for dates.

How do I become a vendor at the fair?

Apply through the fair’s vendor page for food and beverage or commercial booths, or email the vendor coordinator at [email protected]. Applications for 2026 closed ahead of the fair, so reach out early for 2027.