County Fairs and Fall Festivals in Northwest Oklahoma

This time of year in Northwest Oklahoma is when several rural communities gear up for their annual county fairs and traditional town-wide festivals.

BEAVER: The Beaver County Fair and Cow Chip Celebration is a week-long tradition that kicked off last week in Beaver. The county fair started today (Aug. 21) and runs through Saturday (Aug. 23) at the Beaver County Fairgrounds along U.S. 270 on the south side of Beaver. Check out exhibits and vendors, sample food trucks, and witness the cornhole tourney, horseshoe throwing, and pedal tractor pulls.

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RINGWOOD: Ringwood’s 111th annual Community Fair is a weeklong event ending Aug. 30. Water wars will be at the Ringwood Fire Department at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 26. Ringwood Public Schools carnival starts at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 27, in the baseball field. Check out Ms. Ringwood and Mr. Ringwood at 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 28. The Watermelon Festival is Saturday, Aug. 30, and will feature several activities including the Melon Dash at 7:30 a.m., a parade at 10:30 a.m. downtown, and tractor pulls at 3 p.m. behind the co-op. Stop by Richard’s Food Store, Ringwood, to pick up a complete listing of fair events.

CLEO SPRINGS: Cleo Springs’ annual Watermelon Festival is Labor Day weekend. The festivities kick off Sunday, Aug. 31, with the pageant at 4 p.m. and the firefighters’ feed and fundraiser at 6 p.m. Backstage Pass Band will stir up the crowd for the dance beginning at 8 p.m. A full day of activities are planned for that Monday, Sept. 1, along the square downtown including the parade at 10 a.m. with a watermelon auction immediately following, food trucks, vendors, and games such as the bouncy house all morning and bingo from 2-4 p.m.

ALVA: The Woods County Fair will be held Sept. 4-6 at the Woods County Fairgrounds, south of Alva off U.S. 281.

BOISE CITY:  Cimarron County Fair will be held Sept. 4-6 at the Cimarron County Fairgrounds, located at the junction of U.S. 385 and U.S. 287 on the north side of Boise City, across from Cimarron Heritage Center. In addition to food vendors and exhibits, activities that weekend include a free hamburger feed on Thursday, turtle races on Friday, and the ranch rodeo Saturday and Sunday at the fairgrounds arena starting at 2 p.m. both days and featuring trailer loading, team penning, team doctoring, and stray gathering.

BUFFALO: Harper County Fair will be held Sept. 4-6 at the Harper County Fairgrounds, located on the west edge of Buffalo.

CHEROKEE: Alfalfa County Fair will be held Sept. 3-6 at the Alfalfa County Fairgrounds, located on the west side of Cherokee. Lineup for the week includes a dog show at 2:30 p.m. that Wednesday, livestock showings Wednesday and Thursday, crockpot meals and desserts contests on Thursday, 4-H and FFA livestock judging on Friday, and a horse show at 9 a.m. Saturday.

FAIRVIEW: Major County Free Fair will be held Sept. 4-6 at the Major County Fairgrounds, on the southeast side of Fairview.

At the end of the month on Sept. 26-27 is the Threshing Bee and Two-Cylinder Show at Major County Historical Society on the east side of town along Oklahoma 58. This annual celebration of pioneer farm life includes demonstrations using authentic antique farming equipment such as grain milling, threshing of wheat bundles, rope-making, corn shelling, plowing, broom-making, and sawmilling. The weekend also includes a gas and steam engine show, antique car and truck show, arts and crafts activities, food booths, musical entertainment, land run re-enactment, blacksmithing, and a tractor pull. Take a walk into the past with relics in the museums then experience the train depot, pioneer school, and church.

GUYMON: The 107th annual Texas County Free Fair will be held Sept. 4-6 at the Texas County Activity Center, on the southwest edge of Guymon not far from U.S. 54, with the theme “Pick of the Patch.” The weekend kicks off that Thursday with a 4-H barbecue at 6:30 p.m. Perky veggie, painted furniture, and cosplay contests will be Friday alongside livestock shows. Wheat bread, grand champion pie, and cupcake contests will be Saturday alongside more livestock shows and the turtle race.

SHATTUCK: Ellis County Fair will be held Sept. 4-6 at the Ellis County Fairgrounds along Oklahoma 15 between Fourth and Fifth streets.

At the end of the month, Windmiller Days will be held Sept. 22-26 at Shattuck’s Windmill Museum and Park along the junction curve of Oklahoma 15 and U.S. 283. Every year, people from all over the U.S. come to Shattuck for a week of working on and maintaining windmills at the museum, which boasts over 50 windmills with some dating back to the 1800s.

WOODWARD: Woodward County Fair will be held Sept. 4-6 at the Woodward County Fairgrounds, in Woodward. In addition to livestock shows all weekend, the horse show begins at 6 p.m. that Thursday in the Woodward Round-Up Club Arena. On Friday is a cornhole tournament, free food, dueling pianos, and more starting at 6 p.m. Cody Canada and the Departed perform as the headliner at the fair concert Saturday evening; general admission tickets are $30 per person. For advance tickets, go online at woodwardeventcenter.com/free-fair.

ENID: Garfield County Fair will be held Sept. 11-14 at Chisholm Trail Expo Center, 111 W. Purdue, Enid, and adjoining Garfield County Fairgrounds. See agricultural exhibits and livestock shows for free, sample fair food, and take a whirl on the carnival rides. Doors open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Stake your claim on the Cherokee Strip Days in downtown Enid during that same time Sept. 12-13. Celebrate Enid’s 132nd birthday (remember Enid was established during the Land Run of 1893) with an Indian taco lunch that Friday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and/or food and vendor booths during the festival that Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., both on the courthouse lawn. The Cherokee Strip parade is 10:30 a.m. Saturday around the Square.

WAKITA: Wakita’s annual Old Settlers Celebration is Sept. 13 in downtown Wakita; this year, Twister the Movie Museum will celebrate its 30th anniversary at the same time.

AMES: Ames Day is slated for Sept. 13 in the town park. This annual event includes bingo, a 5K run, turtle races, and a horseshoe tournament plus a pie and ice cream-making contest. Hamburgers will be served before the auction starts. The finale for the day is a spectacular fireworks display. Cindy’s Catering downtown will have baked goods and goodies available for sale along with lunch specials of walking tacos and Frito chili pie.

LAVERNE: Laverne Chamber of Commerce hosts its fourth annual Sand Plum Festival on Sept. 20 in downtown Laverne. Activities from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. include shopping, kids’ games, live music, food vendors, and more.

WAUKOMIS: Waukomis will hold its 71st annual Sooner Celebration on Sept. 27 in downtown Waukomis. The day’s festivities include food, games for all ages, vendor booths, horseshoe tournament, turtle races, car show, live music, and a parade.

DRUMMOND: Drummond Days, which raises funds for the town park, is slated for Oct. 4 in downtown Drummond. This all-day event includes food, music, a car show, and more.

PHOTO FEATURED COURTESY OF ENIDNEWS.COM