The Oldest Fairs in South Dakota

Huron is home to the South Dakota State Fair, which is a six-day Labor Day weekend celebration in the Pheasant Capital of the World, drawing visitors from across the state for livestock competition, grandstand entertainment, and state fair tradition. Launched in 1885, the fair has held its place in South Dakota agricultural life for generations.

Held annually in Aberdeen, the Brown County Fair is a seven-day mid-August celebration in the Hub City of the James River valley, drawing families from northeastern South Dakota for one of the state's largest county fairs. Since its 1921 founding, it's endured as a century-plus South Dakota agricultural tradition.

The Sioux Empire Fair, based in Sioux Falls, is a nine-day late-July celebration in South Dakota's largest city, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors from the Big Sioux River valley for livestock competition and major entertainment. Founded in 1936, it continues to bring South Dakota communities together each year.

The Central States Fair, based in Rapid City, is a nine-day late-August celebration in the gateway to the Black Hills, drawing large crowds from across the northern Great Plains for a major regional fair. Established in 1945, the fair has served as a community gathering point for generations.