County Fair Guide

The Oldest Fairs in Alabama

Alabama's oldest fair is the Jackson County Fair in Scottsboro, running since 1937 — a year before the National Peanut Festival launched in Dothan in 1938. The Alabama National Fair in Montgomery followed in 1954, with Shelby County (1955), DeKalb County (1956), and Marshall County (1959) fairs rounding out the decade. Here are Alabama's fairs with the longest documented histories.

  1. 1
    Jackson County FairScottsboro, Alabama
    Est. 1937August

    The Jackson County Fair in Scottsboro is a beloved north Alabama tradition serving the communities of the Tennessee Valley in Jackson County. This five-day fair at the Jackson County Fairgrounds celebrates the agricultural heritage of one of Alabama's most scenic counties, nestled between the Tennessee River and the Cumberland Plateau.

  2. 2
    Est. 1938November

    The National Peanut Festival in Dothan is one of Alabama's largest and most beloved annual events, celebrating the region's status as the center of America's peanut production. Established in 1938, the fair has brought Alabama communities together for generations. Held at the National Peanut Festival Fairgrounds, this nine-day festival combines the best of a traditional county fair with a celebration of the humble but mighty peanut.

  3. 3
    Alabama National FairMontgomery, Alabama
    Est. 1954October

    The Alabama National Fair & Agricultural Exposition in Montgomery is Alabama's premier state-level fair, held at the Alabama National Fair Grounds. Founded in 1954, it has grown into a beloved annual event for the region. This 11-day major fair celebrates Alabama's agricultural heritage with championship livestock competitions, major entertainment acts, and one of the largest midways in the Southeast.

  4. 4
    Shelby County FairColumbiana, Alabama
    Est. 1955August

    The Shelby County Fair in Columbiana is an August fair in the fastest-growing county in Alabama, celebrating the timber, iron, and suburban heritage of a county that has transformed from a rural Appalachian foothills community into one of the South's most dynamic suburban corridors south of Birmingham.

  5. 5
    DeKalb County FairFort Payne, Alabama
    Est. 1956August

    The DeKalb County Fair in Fort Payne is an August fair in the Lookout Mountain country of northeast Alabama, celebrating the poultry, sock manufacturing, and outdoor heritage of the "Sock Capital of the World" — DeKalb County once produced more socks than any other county in America, and its Lookout Mountain plateau and Little River Canyon are among the most spectacular landscapes in the state.

  6. 6
    Est. 1959September

    The Marshall County Fair in Boaz is a cherished north Alabama tradition serving the communities of Marshall County and the greater Sand Mountain plateau. This five-day fair celebrates the agricultural heritage of one of Alabama's most productive farming regions with livestock competitions, entertainment, and classic fair attractions.

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