Page 74 Area Community Guide • March 2026 COUNTY FAIR DELIVERS LARGE-SCALE FUN
The Chisago County Fair hosts four days of family fun each year, giving the communities a place to gather and find their old and new favorite features. The 2026 event happens July 9-12 in Rush City, marking its 154th year.
The fair starts on Thursday with the food vendors and rides opening. Enjoy moto cross that evening where people of all riding abilities are invited to come and try their hand at racing.
The two-night demolition derby on Friday and Saturday is the fair’ s biggest grandstand event. Participants from the whole upper Midwest come to take a chance at winning more than $ 30,000 in prize money this year.
People of all ages love the Saturday parade. It marches on Main Street with floats, animals, bands and sometimes parade walkers handing out candy.
The fair holds a free kids’ day on Sunday. The young guests can play games, see clowns, pet baby animals, win prizes and get fair hair, face painting or fun balloons. This is all sponsored by generous donations from many businesses in the county. The talent show draws many fans to see the many talents the county residents have to offer.
The midway supplies plenty of thrills, giggles and smiles plus carries a long record of safety and consistency. Greater Midwest Rides provides a fun set of carnival rides for all ages!
Eight building brims with different displays – from animals and science to plants and jellies. Exhibits demonstrate the fruits of people’ s labor in sewing, knitting, photography, baking, eggs, making honey or maple syrup, woodworking, quilting, creating jewelry or scrapbooks, producing artwork and much more. In the 4-H building, members from all over the county, after months of hard work, present the county’ s finest in dairy cows and beef cattle, poultry, pigs, horses, goats, sheep, and other animals and exhibits. They also boast a one-of-a-kind Agriculture Education Center for kids of all ages called Little AgVentures.
Check out the new vendors to the commercial vendor area, including outdoor tents and trailers. Popular foods include pork chops, corn dogs, cotton candy, cheese curds, pork burgers, etc. During all four days of the fair, there are bands on stage and anyone can come sit down and listen to some local bands, while you visit with your neighbors and friends.
The Rush City Historical Society maintains two buildings on the fairgrounds. It is worth a visit to see all the Chisago County historical gems that have been gathered over the years including the log cabin that sits on the corner near the entrance.
BEHIND THE SCENES
The fair board consists of 20-plus volunteers, each with a different area of responsibility. The group works well together and enjoys a fun camaraderie and occasional practical joke. While the Fair Board hasn’ t conducted deep research on the history of the fair, members have been told the first few in Chisago County were held somewhere around North Branch. The state’ s Agricultural Society organized various county fairs using borrowed or donated property.
Within a few years of the first one in Chisago County, the organization bought the Rush City land that is the 33-acre fairgrounds of today. Admission is still free, and parking costs $ 3 per day or $ 10 for a weekend pass.
The weather during the fair has included everything from blistering heat to years when people wore jackets all four days. Rain tends to make a mess of Rush City’ s yellow clay, turning it into a slimy mud that sticks to everything.
The Fair Board plans for a variety of emergency situations – sometimes evacuating kids when necessary to a nearby Baptist church. Over the years, officials have decided four different times to evacuate the fairgrounds. The most recent was in 2019 when a storm dropped over 5 inches of rain in less than an hour; the fair was closed for the evening but opened on schedule the next day.
The Fair Board takes the unpredictable weather all in stride, but members do admit to having a keen appreciation for perfect weather, when the day has warm sun and the night a cool breeze. Just like those old and new favorite features, the weather is just another aspect of the fair that contributes to the making of great memories, like the many couples who met at the fair then return to celebrate their anniversaries.
Chisago County Fair: 905 W. 4th St., Rush City, www. chisagocountyfair. org, chisagoctyfair @ gmail. com, 612-251- 6388.