Labor Day weekend on St. Martins Road: the dates and hours, what is for sale, the parking and pet rules, vendor permits and the fair's 1865 roots.
The St Martins Fair 2026 weekend filled St. Martins Road on Sunday, September 6, and Monday, September 7, the Labor Day pattern set in the city code. For two days the old hamlet of St. Martins in Franklin fills with vendors selling produce, crafts, furniture, antiques and food.
It is part farmers market, part flea market, as Fox6 put it in 2021. Admission is free.
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When the fair runs, and the hours
The fair runs on the Sunday before Labor Day and on Labor Day itself, under the city's own code. In 2026 the city listed selling hours of 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday, September 6, and 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday, September 7.
The 2027 fair falls on Sunday, September 5, and Monday, September 6, since Labor Day 2027 is September 6. Lake.com lists the same projected dates, though its hours differ from the city's, so trust the city page once it updates.
Older sources give a 6 a.m. Monday start, including the city's 2023 rules; for 2026 the city listed 7 a.m. Come early either day if you are hunting furniture or antiques.
Where it is and how it is laid out
The fair sits along St. Martins Road, which is County Highway MM, and Church Street. Fox6 described it in 2021 as spread along a mile-long stretch of St. Martins Road.
There are no city-assigned booths. The city does not provide spaces, so vendors rent frontage from the businesses and homes along the road.
The parish of St. Martin of Tours, on South 116th Street, sits in the old hamlet, and the church is a useful landmark for getting your bearings.
What you can buy
The city's list of what is sold is long. It names fruits, vegetables, arts, crafts, clothing, shoes, hardware and household items, and pet supplies, along with gifts, furniture, antiques and prepared foods. Music groups perform too.
Fox6 named Pop's Kettle Corn among the food stands in its 2021 coverage. Bring cash and a bag, and if you plan to buy furniture, bring a car that can carry it.
Rules for visitors
A few rules shape the day. The sale or offering of dogs is prohibited at the fair, and animals must be restrained or fenced. Those 2023 rules also set beer stand hours of 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday and 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday.
Parking is the part to plan. The 2023 rules ban parking on West Church Street from West St. Martins Road to State Highway 100, and the city page lists no public lots, so expect to walk in from wherever you find a legal spot.
Selling at the fair
Every vendor and entertainer needs a City of Franklin permit, bought in person at the City Clerk's Office or by phone. For 2026 the city charged $110 for a 15-foot space or $220 for a 30-foot space at the early rate, plus $5 a foot beyond 30 feet and a $10 background check fee. Late fees applied from August 31 to September 3, 2026, and no permits were issued after September 3.
The City Clerk's Office is at 9229 W. Loomis Road, open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and its number is 414-425-7500. Because the city does not assign space, a new vendor's first job is finding a business or homeowner on the road to rent from.
First-Monday fairs
The city code also allows a single St Martins Fair on the first Monday of any month except Labor Day. Patch wrote in 2021 that earlier years saw a steadier, weekly fair. No dated 2026 first-Monday fair turned up in our research, so treat the Labor Day weekend as the one fixed date and check the city before driving out on another Monday.
A fair older than its road
The fair is older than its current home. The Franklin Historical Society says it began in 1865 along Highway 100 in Hales Corners, as a place for farmers to sell tools, equipment and produce. Farmer Walter Barbian led its move to St. Martins in 1958, and the society puts attendance at over 100,000 visitors each Labor Day weekend.
The hamlet itself goes back further. Wikipedia says St. Martins was settled in the 1830s and 1840s and had an interurban stop, St. Martin's Junction, from 1904 to 1939.
Accounts link the hamlet to Father Martin Kundig, though the parish's own history notes that no records have been found to prove he platted or named the village. The 1898 Hand Book of Wisconsin counted 146 residents. A five-story windmill was moved to the hamlet from Kenosha County in 1868.
The parish's own history says construction of its Sacred Hearts church began in 1858 and the church was blessed in 1859. The merged parish took the name St. Martin of Tours in 1998, and a new church was dedicated in 2004 with the old building kept as its narthex.
Staying and playing nearby
Book early if you want a room on Labor Day weekend.
Vernon Barg Park, joined to Lions Legend by a paved trail, adds more courts and a soccer field. More of the city's green space is in the Franklin parks, from county woods to neighborhood pavilions.
The fair is one date on a short calendar, and the rest of Franklin's year runs from fieldhouse pickleball in winter to ball games at Ballpark Commons.
Frequently asked questions
Published September 21, 2026
