The 114th Wyoming State Fair (WSF) will be held Aug. 11-15 in Douglas. As always, it will be a celebration of Wyoming agriculture, and the ag industry is proud to show off its importance to the rest of Wyoming.
Gov. Mark Gordon said, “As a ranching family, Jennie and I appreciate the value and independence of agriculture. As stewards of the land, our farmers and ranchers sustain this vital industry, feeding our nation and preserving the open spaces and habitats essential for our state’s wildlife and the outdoor opportunities we all enjoy.”
“We recognize WSF serves as a platform for education, relationship building and youth competition, as well as cultivating the next generation of farmers and ranchers in Wyoming,” he added.
WSF actually lasts nine days, from Saturday, Aug. 8 through Saturday, Aug. 15. These nine days are packed full of events with something for everyone.
Don’t forget, while WSF lasts nine days, WSF General Manager Courtny Hinds, WSF staff, the WSF Board and numerous volunteers are working 365 days to plan the state fair.
I’ve always thought the best part of WSF is Wyoming’s youth showing their animals, many of which they have raised, trained and cared for daily.
Some of the youth have their own herds of cattle, sheep, hogs or goats. In essence, they are young businessmen and women. Some have traveled overseas to show their livestock. They are tomorrow’s leaders.
The 2026 WSF will not feature Figure-8 Racing, but the Demolition Derby will take place on Aug. 15 at 6 p.m. The breakaway roping will move to Wednesday night, and the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Rodeo will take place on Thursday and Friday evenings, starting at 6 p.m. with mutton bustin’. On Friday evening, the rodeo will start at 6:30 p.m. with a Miss Rodeo Wyoming pre-show.
The Cowboy Calcutta will start on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m., followed by the Ranch Rodeo at 7 p.m. This event always packs the grandstand with spectators watching their favorite ranch rodeo team. This rodeo is made up of the best Wyoming teams who have won ranch rodeos across the state.
The Wyoming Pioneer Association will hold their annual meeting on Thursday, Aug. 13 at 10 a.m., followed by lunch at noon and poetry and music at 1:30 p.m.
If one thinks about it, WSF and Wyoming county fairs are real treasures for the state.
There are many people in Wyoming who think fairs are just rodeos and carnivals. While both are great and good money makers, there is so much more to a fair, especially the WSF. The WSF is a county fair on steroids.
As with everything else, it takes funding to have a state fair, and WSF has a great endowment to donate dollars to, as it takes more than state money to put on. It is money well spent.
If you are at the WSF and looking around, stop in the Roundup Tent and cool off. There will be roughly 24 booths telling the story of agriculture in Wyoming. It’s a great place to meet new people, visit old friends, rest your feet and get a free bottle of water.
Dennis Sun is the publisher of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup, a weekly agriculture newspaper available in print and online.
