Every Labor Day weekend since 1949, Fort Tuthill turns into the biggest gathering Coconino County has — livestock barns, a carnival midway, funnel cake, and a grandstand that fills up after dark. This year is the fair's 77th, and it's leaning into the county's own milestone: 135 years of Coconino County, told through a Route 66 theme.

If you've never taken kids to a county fair, it's worth knowing what you're walking into: part agricultural show, part carnival, part small-town reunion. Here's what to expect, what's worth the ticket, and what to skip.

The basics

When: September 4–7, 2026 (Friday through Labor Day Monday)

Where: Fort Tuthill County Park, 2446 Fort Tuthill Loop, Flagstaff

Hours: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, 10 am to 10 pm. Monday, 10 am to 4 pm. The carnival stays open an hour later than the gates.

Cost: Regular admission is (mostly) the same all four days — $10 for adults, $6 for kids ages 6 to 12, $6 for seniors 65+, and free for kids 5 and under. Parking is $5 per vehicle (credit card only — no cash this year). Admission covers one day, with re-entry allowed if you get stamped on the way out.

The only day this changes is Friday, September 4, 10 am–4 pm, when kids 6–17 get in free for Youth Day (adults still pay full price).

Getting there: Mountain Line runs a free shuttle from park-and-ride locations around town, which solves both the parking fee and the walk from an overflow lot. Worth it if you're wrangling a stroller.

Friday is Youth Day

Kids ages 6 to 17 get in free from 10 am to 4 pm. A few things to build your morning around:

• Passport Program. Pick up a booklet at the Information Booth, complete the activities around the fairgrounds, and turn it in by 2 pm for a prize. The first 150 kids to finish get a free gift bag from local businesses — worth arriving early for.
• Frozen T-Shirt Contest, hosted by Lanky the Clown, kicks off the Main Stage around 10:30 am. Youth only.
• Strolling performers work the fairgrounds most of the day — a juggler, a balloon artist, a magician, a clown. They repeat their sets every hour or so at different spots, so if you miss one, you'll likely catch it again.
• 4-H animal exhibits are hands-on and low-key, a good stop if your kids need a break from carnival noise.

One note: outside food isn't allowed in, but there are $5 meal deals posted around the grounds on Youth Day specifically.

What's worth your time all weekend

The livestock barns are free to wander and genuinely good with kids — rabbits, poultry, goats, sheep, and market steers, often with the 4-H and FFA kids who raised them nearby to answer questions. Showmanship and conformation events run in the show ring most of the day; even a short look is a real slice of what the fair is actually for.

The carnival midway is the part kids picture when they hear "fair." Rides run on wristbands or tickets — buy those separately from general admission.

Live music and entertainment run on the Main Stage into the evening each night, with a headliner slot after 8 pm. That's later than most families with young kids will stay, but the earlier stage sets — jugglers, magicians, clowns — are timed for daytime and better suited to little ones anyway.

The full entertainment lineup for Saturday through Monday is still being finalized — check coconinocountyfair.com/fair-schedule closer to Labor Day for exact set times.

Parent tips

• Go early or accept the evening crowd. The fair is at its calmest in the first couple of hours after opening. By early evening, especially Saturday, the midway gets tight.
• Sunscreen and water, even in September. Fort Tuthill sits in open, high-elevation terrain with real sun exposure. Shade is limited outside the barns.
• Bring a card for parking, but have cash on hand. Parking is credit-card only this year; some vendors inside may be cash-only.
• Save receipts to your phone. Tickets and wristbands are all-final-sale — a saved screenshot is your backup if the fairgrounds' signal gets spotty.
• The barns are the easiest break from carnival noise. If a kid needs to decompress, that's where to go.

Whatever else changes about Flagstaff, the county fair has been showing up at Fort Tuthill every Labor Day weekend for 77 years running. Bring the stroller, plan to visit Friday if free admission matters to your family, and give yourself more time than you think you'll need — this county fairs is made for wandering, not rushing.