The Vermont State Fair has been running continuously since 1846, interrupted only by the Civil War and two World Wars. That longevity is worth something. By the time a fair has been operating for nearly 180 years, it has either figured out what it’s doing or it’s gone. The Vermont State Fair is still here, still running the last week of August in Rutland, and still doing what agricultural fairs were built to do: celebrate the food, the animals, the crafts, and the communities that make a state more than a collection of zip codes.
For anyone staying in Ludlow, Okemo-area properties, or the southern Vermont corridor, Rutland is twenty minutes north on Route 7. The fair is worth a day, and the combination of summer mountain biking at Okemo plus the fair at the tail end of August makes for a late-summer Vermont trip that covers a lot of ground.
Nearly Two Centuries of Vermont Agriculture
The Vermont State Fair predates the Civil War. When the first fair ran in 1846 on the Rutland County fairgrounds, Vermont was at the peak of its 19th-century agricultural identity — more than a million Merino sheep grazed Vermont hillsides, dairy farming was establishing itself as the state’s dominant agricultural mode, and the Green Mountains were almost entirely deforested from the intensive land use of the era.
The fair was designed to do what agricultural fairs always were: spread best practices, showcase breeding stock, and give farmers from across the state a reason to compare notes and celebrate their craft. Prize ribbons for the best bull and the best pie served the same essential function — recognizing excellence within a community that had genuine shared stakes in the outcomes.
What’s striking about the Vermont State Fair in the 21st century is how much of that original function persists. The cattle judging is competitive. The draft horse pull draws serious competitors. The 4-H competitions are real. The agricultural DNA of the event is intact in a way that many state fairs have abandoned.
What’s at the Fair
The agricultural barn complex is the heart of the event and the part that most county fairs have either shrunk or eliminated. Vermont’s is still robust: cattle judging, sheep competitions, draft horse pulls, poultry shows, rabbit competitions, and rabbit and cavy exhibitions that run through the week. If you’ve never watched a serious draft horse pull — teams of Belgian and Percheron horses competing to move weighted sleds across a dirt arena — it’s one of the more impressive displays of animal power you’ll encounter anywhere.
4-H and youth exhibitions include vegetables, baked goods, sewing, woodworking, and crafts produced by Vermont kids and teenagers. The quality in these competitions is genuinely impressive — this is serious competitive work, not a hobby fair.
The midway runs the full week with rides ranging from children’s fare to full-size attractions. The Vermont State Fair midway is operated by a traveling company and includes the usual complement of games, food vendors, and evening atmosphere that works better than it has any right to.
Live entertainment runs on the main stage nightly throughout the week. The lineup varies by year and spans country, classic rock, and regional performers. Check the official schedule for current headline acts.
Fair food: Fried dough, maple creemees, corn dogs, kettle corn, and the standard midway complement. The maple soft-serve situation in Vermont is consistently better than it has any right to be at a state fair — this is, after all, a state that takes maple seriously at every level.
Competitions Worth Watching
A few specific events that are worth building your day around:
Draft horse pull: Typically held mid-week and on the weekend. The Vermont fair draws serious competitors from across New England and New York. Teams of Belgian workhorses pulling several times their body weight is a visceral display of agricultural heritage that you won’t find in many places.
Cattle judging: The dairy and beef cattle judging rings give you a window into a part of Vermont’s economy that most visitors only see from the highway. The Jerseys, Holsteins, and Ayrshires competing here come from working Vermont farms.
Agricultural exhibits: The produce competition includes some extraordinary specimens — prize-winning pumpkins and squash that require a forklift, heirloom tomatoes in colors that don’t seem real, and an apple exhibition that spans varieties most people have never encountered.
Sheep competitions: Vermont’s sheep heritage is deep. The Merino that once grazed every hillside gave way to meat and wool breeds; the sheep competitions at the fair reflect that history and ongoing farming practice.
A Day at the Fair: What Order Works
The Vermont State Fair is spread across a fairgrounds complex that takes more time to navigate than it looks on a map. A suggested sequence:
Morning (opening to noon): Head to the agricultural barns first, before the midday heat and the afternoon crowds. The morning livestock schedule typically includes the most active demonstration events — feeding time, animal care, early judging rounds. The smells are authentic and the pace is slow.
Midday: Eat at the fair — this is non-negotiable. Fried dough, corn on the cob, a maple creemee, and whatever else is on offer from the Vermont-specific vendors. Fair food is not aspirational dining; it is its own thing and it should be approached accordingly.
Afternoon: Draft horse pull if it’s running that day (check the schedule). Midway rides if you’re with kids. The produce and craft competition halls are air-conditioned and worth an hour.
Evening: Main stage entertainment. The evening shows draw the largest crowds; if you’re coming specifically for a headliner, arrive early to claim a position.
For Families at the Vermont State Fair
The fair’s strongest suit with children is the agricultural content — animals that are real and large and close, farming operations that most kids have only seen from car windows, and demonstrations that explain where food actually comes from in concrete terms.
The children’s area has age-appropriate rides and activity zones. But the highest-quality family content is in the barns. Watching a sheep herding demonstration or standing near a draft horse that weighs 2,000 pounds gives kids something that a midway ride cannot.
4-H exhibition halls show kids what their peers accomplished — and in many cases, what they could accomplish if they had the same opportunities. This is the fair’s quiet educational function and it works.
Combining with Okemo Summer Activities
If you’re based in the Ludlow area for a summer stay, the State Fair slotting into the last week of August means you have multiple options:
Okemo Mountain operates its summer lift and trail network through Labor Day, making for morning mountain biking or hiking followed by an afternoon or evening at the fair. The distance — 20 minutes on Route 103 to Route 7 — makes it easy to do both in a single day without rushing either.
The Green Mountain National Forest trails surrounding Ludlow are at their best in late August — warm enough to swim in the streams, cool enough for serious hiking, without the humidity that can make July walking uncomfortable.
For the full picture of what summer in the Ludlow area offers, the Ludlow vacation rental guide covers the town’s seasonal calendar from ski season through summer and fall. The Vermont Summer Guide lists the best activities and events across the state through Labor Day.
Beyond the Fair: Rutland and Southern Vermont
Rutland itself is often overlooked by visitors, but it’s a genuine small city with a few things worth knowing:
Vermont Farmers Food Center: The Saturday farmers’ market in Rutland operates out of a converted building year-round and is one of the stronger markets in southern Vermont. If you’re visiting the fair over a weekend, a Saturday morning at the market pairs naturally.
Slate History: Rutland County is the center of Vermont’s slate quarrying industry, with quarries still operating in Fair Haven and Poultney to the west. The slate walkways in downtown Rutland are the visible evidence of a regional industry that shaped the entire landscape.
Route 7 South to Manchester: The drive south from Rutland on Route 7 through Wallingford, Danby, and Dorset is one of the quieter scenic drives in southern Vermont — marble sidewalks in the villages, working farms, the Taconic Range rising to the west. Manchester is forty minutes south and has a different character from Woodstock — more outlet-focused, but with good restaurants and a serious fly-fishing scene.
Planning Your Visit
- Dates: Last week of August (typically the week leading into Labor Day weekend; check vermontstatefair.net for exact dates)
- Hours: Grounds open daily; specific exhibition and entertainment times vary by day
- Admission: Around $15 for adults, children under 12 typically discounted; weekly passes available
- Location: Rutland, VT — 20 minutes north of Ludlow on Route 7
- Parking: Fair parking is available on-site; plan for a walk from the lots
- Best days: Weekend days for the largest crowds and most events; mid-week for a more manageable pace
The Vermont State Fair is the kind of event that doesn’t try to be something it isn’t. It’s been running since 1846 and it’s still doing the same essential thing: bringing Vermont together around the agricultural traditions that built the state. Worth a day at the end of summer. And if the calendar cooperates, combining it with the Vermont Brewers Festival in Burlington later the same month gives you a two-event Vermont summer trip worth planning around.