The Gillespie County Fair, the oldest continuously running county fair in the state, will be held Thursday through Sunday, Aug. 24-27.
Sponsored by the Gillespie County Fair and Festivals Association, the 135th event will include two days of live pari-mutuel horse racing, a carnival and midway, displays of agricultural and home products, a parade, queen’s contest, musical entertainment, livestock shows and much more.
The event opens Thursday, Aug. 24 at 5 p.m. with free admission to the grounds.
Free Tejano concerts will be provided by poplar acts Los Pedernales and Pepe Tovar 7 los Chacales.
While there is no charge for the entertainment, there is a cost for the carnival and midway, which also opens Thursday and continues throughout the weekend.
Earlier on Thursday, entries will be taken in the agriculture and home skills departments from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Judging gets underway at 6:30 p.m.
The Gillespie County Fair Parade will make its way along Main Street at 10 a.m. Friday morning.
After the parade, events shift back to the fair grounds site where the gates open at 1 p.m.
The 2024 Gillespie County Fair Queen and her court will be crowned during ceremonies planned for 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 25.
Catalog dedications will also be made that night.
The 135th Gillespie County Fair is dedicated to honorary lifetime directors Mike Hartmann, Russell Hartmann and Myron Jost.
On Friday night, the Rocky King Band will headline a night of two stepping and shuffling around the outdoor dance floor.
Live pari-mutuel horse racing will be offered Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 26-27 with a post time of 1 p.m. both days.
Highlighting the entertainment Saturday night will be headliner and 14-time hitmaker Joe Nichols. John Christopher Way will open the evening’s music at 6:30 p.m., followed by Wade Hayes who starts at 8:30 p.m.
The 2023 racing season at the Class III facility at the fair grounds will conclude on Sunday.
Highlighting the racing program on the final day will be the running of the 2023 Gillespie County Fair Futurity.
Throughout the weekend, the Exhibition Hall will be open for persons interested in viewing the agricultural and home products displays, educational exhibits, quilts and much more.
In the Show Barn, livestock judging will take place Friday through Sunday, Aug. 25-27.
Plenty of food and drink will be available at the concessions throughout the weekend.
Online tickets
Patrons can purchase their tickets online by visiting www.gillespiefair.com.
For more information on the 135th Gillespie County Fair, call the Gillespie County Fair and Festivals Association at 830-9972359 or visit the website above.
