Wallace County Kansas Wallace County Fair Festival

The Wallace County Fair is a small-county fair set in an enormous landscape. Wallace County spreads across 914 square miles of far western Kansas, and the 2020 census counted 1,512 residents, which makes fair time one of the few occasions each year when neighbors who live miles apart end up in the same place. This guide covers what the fair involves, how to plan around it, and what else is worth seeing in the surrounding high plains.

The Essentials: Wallace County Fair in Sharon Springs, Kansas

Dates and small details shift from year to year, so treat the table below as a general frame and confirm the current schedule locally as fair time approaches.

Town / area	Sharon Springs area, Wallace County, Kansas
County	Wallace County
County seat	Sharon Springs
Population	1,512 (2020 census)
Region	Far western Kansas high plains, near the Colorado state line
Typical timing	Late summer, usually across a single weekend
Admission	Typically free to enter; individual activities may charge separately
Setting	Rural fairgrounds surrounded by open farmland and shortgrass prairie
Features	Livestock shows, 4-H and open-class exhibits, food stands, family activities
Organizer	Local fair board with community volunteers

Admission to a fair of this size is typically free, with money changing hands mainly at food stands, games, and vendor booths. Everything sits within easy walking distance, so a single afternoon covers the whole grounds.

Inside the Wallace County Fair: What It Is and Who Puts It On

At its core, this is a county fair in the classic sense: a few days when the grounds near Sharon Springs fill with livestock pens, exhibit tables, food trailers, and people who have known each other for generations. Sharon Springs is the county seat, and the fair serves the whole county — ranch families from the outlying townships, town residents, and travelers passing through on the way to or from Colorado.

Expect a schedule built around livestock shows and static exhibits rather than headline concerts. 4-H members and open-class exhibitors bring animals, garden produce, baked goods, photography, and handmade crafts to be judged, and the results are a genuine source of local pride. A local fair board organizes the event with help from community volunteers — the model most small Kansas counties rely on, where the fair happens because people simply show up to set pens and work the concession stand.

For another look at how a community turns its own traditions into a gathering, see the Wabaunsee County Kansas Wabaunsee County Fair Festival for a useful comparison.

Because the population is small, the fair is compact. You will not spend a day hiking between distant venues, and that is part of the appeal: a visitor can tour the exhibit hall, watch a show, eat, and still have daylight left to drive out and look at the prairie.

From 1868 to Today: How the Wallace County Fair Took Shape

Wallace County was founded in 1868, during the era when far western Kansas was being organized, surveyed, and settled. Sharon Springs grew into the county seat, and the economy that took hold — cattle, wheat, and dryland crops — set the rhythm of the year. County fairs across the plains grew out of that rhythm: after harvest and before winter, communities gathered to compare what they had grown and raised.

Over the decades the fair changed with the county. Early versions leaned heavily on livestock and produce; later years added photography, baking, crafts, and youth projects. The grounds themselves became a shared piece of local infrastructure, used for other gatherings through the year. What has stayed constant is the purpose — a fixed point on the calendar when a county of 914 square miles condenses into one small patch of grass and gravel.

On the Ground: What a Day at the Wallace County Fair Feels Like

Plan on a relaxed pace rather than a packed schedule. Mornings belong to exhibitors and judges, afternoons bring families, and evenings draw the biggest crowds for grandstand events and cooler air.

Fair Food and the Local Kansas Table

Food at the fair is the familiar small-county lineup: burgers and hot dogs off a grill, funnel cakes, snow cones, popcorn, and homemade pie and cinnamon rolls from church and community booths. Portions are generous and prices stay modest. Bring cash for the smaller stands, since card readers can be unreliable when a crowd hits the grounds at once.

Music, Evening Entertainment, and the Grandstand

Evening programming usually centers on the grandstand, with live music, contests, and crowd-pleasing events that vary by year. Local and regional performers are the norm rather than touring acts, which suits the setting — you are close enough to the action to recognize half the people around you. Arrive early if you want a seat, and bring a lawn chair if the grounds allow it.

Family Activities and Things for Kids to Do

Children tend to gravitate to the livestock barns, where exhibitors are often happy to answer questions about their animals. Games, craft tables, and youth exhibits round out the day. Because the grounds are small and traffic is limited, parents can let kids roam a little more freely than they would at a large regional fair.

Planning Your Wallace County Fair Trip

This is a rural county with limited services, so a little preparation goes a long way. Here is what to sort out before you drive in.

Getting to Sharon Springs on the High Plains

Sharon Springs sits in far western Kansas, close to the Colorado line, and is reached by highway through open country. Fuel up before you arrive, especially if you are coming in from a smaller route, and check your route for construction. Distances between towns out here are longer than the map suggests.

Where to Stay in and Around Wallace County

Lodging in the immediate area is limited, so book well ahead if you plan to stay overnight. Many visitors base themselves in larger neighboring towns and drive in for the evening, while others camp or stay with family. If you are traveling with an RV, confirm hookups before you commit.

Parking at the Wallace County Fairgrounds

Parking is generally informal and close to the gates, with volunteers directing traffic during peak hours. Come early for grandstand events and expect a short walk from the outer rows. Vehicles with trailers should ask about designated space rather than parking in the main lot.

Admission, Costs, and What to Bring in Your Wallet

Entry is typically free, with costs concentrated in food, games, and vendor purchases. Carry small bills, set a rough budget for kids, and treat any ticketed grandstand event as a separate expense to confirm locally.

High Plains Weather and What to Pack

Late-summer weather here swings hard: hot, bright afternoons followed by cool evenings and the occasional fast-moving storm. Pack sunscreen, a hat, refillable water, a light jacket, and closed-toe shoes for the barns. Wind is a constant companion on the plains.

A Sample Weekend Itinerary for the Wallace County Fair

Friday afternoon: Arrive as the grounds open, walk the exhibit hall first while it is quiet, then work through the livestock barns. Grab an early dinner from a food stand and stay for the evening grandstand program.

Saturday morning: Come back for the judging and youth shows, when the barns are busiest and most interesting. Browse vendor booths, then take a midday break in town or back at your lodging during the hottest hours.

Saturday evening: Return for the main draw — food, games, and the biggest crowd of the weekend. This is the night to linger.

Sunday: A quieter day for final exhibits and a slow look at the grounds before heading out. If you have time, drive a stretch of county road and see the landscape the fair is celebrating.

How the Wallace County Fair Compares with Neighboring County Fairs

Wallace County is one of the smallest counties in this corner of Kansas, and its fair reflects that scale. Fairs in larger neighboring county seats — Goodland to the east, Colby, Oakley — draw from bigger populations and tend to offer more vendors, more commercial entertainment, and longer schedules.

What Wallace County offers instead is intimacy. You can see everything in an afternoon, talk to the people who raised the animals on display, and never stand in a long line. If you are touring western Kansas, pairing this fair with a stop in one of those larger towns gives you both versions of the plains summer.

Wallace County Fair Checklist for First-Time Visitors

Confirm the current dates and schedule before you travel, since timing shifts year to year.

Book lodging early or plan to stay in a nearby town and drive in.

Bring cash in small bills, plus water, sunscreen, and a hat.

Wear closed-toe shoes you do not mind getting dusty.

Pack a light jacket for the evening temperature drop.

Leave room in the car for anything you buy from a vendor or a bake sale.

Beyond the Fairgrounds: Wallace County and the Far Western Plains

The county rewards a slow drive. Mount Sunflower, the highest point in Kansas, sits out in the western part of the county along dirt roads, marked by a simple sign and a wide view in every direction. The Fort Wallace Museum near the community of Wallace interprets the region’s military and settlement history, and the surrounding shortgrass prairie is worth an hour of unhurried driving at sunset.

Sharon Springs itself is a small county seat with the essentials — fuel, a few places to eat, and the everyday businesses that keep a rural county running. Combined with the fair, it makes a full weekend rather than a quick stop.

Why the Wallace County Fair Matters in a County of 1,512 People

In a county where the population is 1,512 and the land area is 914 square miles, distance is the default condition. Neighbors may live twenty minutes apart and see each other only a few times a year. The fair creates a shared place and a shared date, and it hands the county’s young people a stage for work they have done all spring and summer.

It also carries memory. Generations of families have shown animals, entered pies, and worked the same booths. Keeping that going takes volunteers, sponsors, and exhibitors who show up year after year — which is exactly what makes a small fair worth a trip from outside the county.

Where the Wallace County Fairgrounds Are Located

The Wallace County Fair takes place on the county fairgrounds in the Sharon Springs area of Wallace County, in far western Kansas near the Colorado state line.

Answers for First-Timers at the Wallace County Fair

When is the Wallace County Fair usually held?

It is typically held in late summer, usually over a single weekend. Exact dates vary by year, so check locally before you plan travel.

Is there an admission fee to get in?

Admission is typically free. You will spend money on food, games, and vendor items, and any special grandstand event may have its own charge.

What should I bring to the fairgrounds?

Cash in small bills, water, sunscreen, a hat, and a light jacket for the evening. Closed-toe shoes are a good idea around the livestock barns.

Is the fair suitable for young children and older visitors?

Yes. The grounds are compact and walkable, with seating near the main activity areas and a pace that suits families and grandparents alike.

Looking Ahead: The Future of the Wallace County Fair

Small county fairs across the plains face the same pressures: aging volunteers, rising costs, and young people who move away. The Wallace County Fair’s advantage is that it remains genuinely useful to the community it serves — a place to exhibit, compete, visit, and eat together. As long as local families keep entering exhibits and working the grounds, the fair will keep its place on the calendar.

For visitors, that means the best approach is simple: check the current schedule, plan around a weekend in late summer, and come ready to slow down. Wallace County does not put on a spectacle. It puts on a fair, and that is the point.

Last updated: October 2026