Waukesha County Fair: When Is It and What Does It Cost?

Every July, livestock, a midway and a concert stage fill the Expo Center grounds on Northview Road for five days. The Waukesha County Fair runs at the Waukesha County Expo Center, 1000 Northview Road, and the 2026 fair ran from Wednesday, July 15, to Sunday, July 19. Travel Wisconsin billed 2026 as the 184th fair and called it the oldest fair in Wisconsin.

Dates for 2027 had not been announced in any source checked for this page, so the details below are the 2026 prices and schedule, which show what to expect.

When is the fair?

The fair runs Wednesday to Sunday in mid-July. In 2026 the gates opened at noon on Wednesday and at 10 am on the other four days. Closing time was 10 pm on Wednesday, 11 pm on Thursday, midnight on Friday and Saturday, and 8 pm on Sunday, with entry ending an hour before close.

The 2026 theme was "Get Your Kicks in 2026". Plan the daytime for the livestock and exhibits and the evening for the stage, where the 2026 shows started at 8 pm.

Tickets and deals

Gate admission in 2026 was $14 for adults and $8 for children 6 to 12, and children 5 and under got in free. Wednesday was the bargain day, with $3 admission, $2 parking and $3 rides. From Thursday to Sunday, a ride wristband cost $35.

TMJ4 reported two more 2026 deals: seniors 62 and over paid $8 on Thursday, and adults paid $7 before 1 pm on Sunday. Lake Country Family Fun also listed half-price adult admission before 5 pm on Thursday and Friday with coupons from Fleet Farm and St Vincent de Paul, and half-price admission for everyone before 1 pm on Sunday.

Parking

Parking at the Expo Center was $6 in 2026, and motorcycles parked free. On Wednesday's deal day, parking dropped to $2.

The fairgrounds sit just south of I-94, according to Lake Country Family Fun, and Northview Road is the route in, so allow time to park before an 8 pm show.

Mainstage concerts

The 2026 mainstage shows started at 8 pm and were free with admission. Sebastian Bach played Thursday, Hoobastank and Eve 6 played Friday, and 38 Special played Saturday. Lake Country Family Fun listed VIP seats in a designated area for those shows at $35 to $40, and assigned Elite VIP seats at $80 to $90.

The headliners change every year, so treat that list as a guide to the kind of booking rather than a promise for 2027.

Livestock, derby and motocross

The fair keeps its farm roots: livestock judging runs all week, and the livestock auction is on Friday. Saturday brings the demolition derby, listed at 1 pm in 2026 by Lake Country Family Fun, and Sick Air FMX ran motocross shows from Wednesday to Saturday.

The carnival is run by North American Midway Entertainment, and the new ride for 2026 was X-Drive. TMJ4's 2026 coverage also highlighted the 4-H exhibits.

Lake Country Family Fun's 2026 schedule also listed truck and tractor pulls on Wednesday and Sunday, a classic car show on Sunday and pig, goat and duck races. The fair opened with a parade on Wednesday at 3 pm in 2026.

What to eat

Food is a big draw, and the 2026 fair announced six new food vendors in May. FOX6 listed 99 Tasty Eats with Korean corn dogs, dumplings and boba tea, Big Mama's Bacon Wrapped BBQ, K&M Concession with key lime pie and Dole Whip, Kings Katering & Smokehouse, Madoline's Waffle Delights and Mr Tacomex 2 with tacos and burritos.

The returning staples, according to the same report, include mini donuts, roasted corn, fresh-squeezed lemonade, funnel cakes, cream puffs and an assortment of deep-fried items. Lake Country Family Fun listed the milk tent at $1 for all the milk you care to drink, and a Saturday pancake breakfast at $10 that included admission and parking.

With kids

Lake Country Family Fun describes the grounds as stroller and wheelchair accessible. The same 2026 guide listed a Children's Tent and a Family Fun Stage in the Arena Exhibit Hall, a Touch of the Wild education trailer and a meet-and-greet with the Brewers Racing Sausages on opening night.

Children 5 and under get in free, so the main cost for a young family is parking, food and rides. In 2026, rides cost $3 each on Wednesday, against a $35 unlimited wristband on the other days.

Quieter hours and staying cool

The 2026 fair set aside a Sensory Sensitive Afternoon on Thursday from 2 to 4 pm, for visitors who find the noise and lights hard going. The air-conditioned Forum Building is one place to cool down on a hot July afternoon, and Lake Country Family Fun also listed the Exhibits Building as air-conditioned.

Bring water, sunscreen and a hat, since a July fair is mostly outdoors, and TMJ4's 2026 coverage put heat relief high on the list.

How long has it run?

CBS58 called the 2022 event the 180th fair and the longest-standing county fair in Wisconsin, and Travel Wisconsin numbered 2026 as the 184th.

The fair is presented by Inpro, and its executive director in 2026 was Chrissy Gluege, according to TMJ4. For questions, the fair's phone number is 262-544-5922.

Around the Expo Center

Northview Road is home to more than the fair, and a few listed places nearby make an easy add-on.

Pickleball players can find the rest of the town's indoor and outdoor pickleball courts within about 4 miles of Center Court.

About 1.6 miles east of Center Court, the courts at Banting Park have eight lighted pickleball courts.

Make a weekend of it

Fair week overlaps with summer Fridays downtown, when Friday Night Live put free music on eight stages from 6:30 to 9 pm in 2026. The Saturday farmers market by the Fox River opens at 8 am, and Retzer Nature Center's trails are free. The rest of a July weekend in Waukesha fits around the fair's long evenings.