The Oklahoma State Fair runs September 17 through 27 this year at Oklahoma State Fair Park in Oklahoma City. Eleven days of food, music, rides, livestock, and everything else that makes fall in OKC feel like fall in OKC. If you have not been in a few years, or you are new to Oklahoma City, there is a lot that is new for 2026. Here is what to know before you go.
The Basics
Dates: September 17 to 27, 2026
Location: Oklahoma State Fair Park, 3001 General Pershing Blvd, Oklahoma City, OK 73107
Theme: Midway of the Mother Road, celebrating the 100th anniversary of Route 66
The fair opens Thursday, September 17 and closes Sunday, September 27. Kids age five and under are free every day.
The America 250 Wheel Is the Fair's New Headliner
The America 250 Wheel is new to Oklahoma this year and it is impossible to miss. At 230 feet tall, it is billed as the world's largest portable observation wheel, taller than the ferris wheel at the State Fair of Texas, taller than the wheel at Navy Pier in Chicago, and taller than the Texas Star Wheel in Dallas. It has 45 gondolas, each featuring facts about one of the 45 U.S. presidents.
Ride tickets are $4 in advance and $7 during the fair. The wheel opens daily at 11am.
New Shows and Live Entertainment
The 2026 lineup adds several new attractions running alongside the returning favorites.
Ultimate Bullfighters comes to the OG&E Coliseum on Wednesday, September 24. Wildcatters vs. The World bull riding follows Friday and Saturday, September 25 and 26.
Daily entertainment includes the YO HO HO Hypnosis Show on the Plaza Stage, Jurassic Bark Live on the Gordon Cooper Lawn, All Star Pro Wrestling also on the Gordon Cooper Lawn, the Piccolo Zoppé Italian Circus, dog shows, livestock competitions, and the Oklahoma Frontier Experience.
The concert lineup at the Chickasaw Country Entertainment Stage includes the Route 66 Red Dirt Music Festival with Wade Bowen, Cam Allen, and William Clark Green on Saturday, a "Beats and Beads" Taylor Swift tribute night with Let's Sing Taylor and DJ Buff on Sunday, and contemporary Christian artist Ben Fuller on Monday.
Route 66 Centennial Celebrations
Route 66 turns 100 in 2026, and the fair leans into it with the Midway of the Mother Road theme. The Route 66 Centennial Salute and Parade brings together vendors, historians, classic cars, and community groups for a tribute to America's most famous highway, a highway with deep Oklahoma roots that runs through Tulsa, Oklahoma City, and dozens of small towns in between.
Route 66-themed exhibits, craft activities, and history displays will be spread across the fairgrounds throughout the eleven-day run.
New Food and Drink
The fair's food list is always the long list. Here is a sample of what is new for 2026:
- Donut smash burger
- Birria ramen
- Mango bourbon pork ribs
- Korean corndog carbonara ramen
- Fried cheesecake bites
- Cheesecake taco
- Dubai-style chocolate cheesecake
- Pickle-flavored Dr Pepper
The fair is also partnering with James Beard finalist Chef Andrew Black on new menu items this year.
New Competitions
Route 66 shows up in the competition lineup, too. New for 2026:
- Stitch in Time
- Mother Road Masterpieces
- Cinn-OH Man Rolls
- Route 66 Christmas ornament contest
New livestock events include a Rabbit Show and the Oklahoma Horizon Horse Show, joining the regular slate of livestock competitions.
Disney on Ice and Family Programming
Disney on Ice presents "Jump In" during opening week. Between Disney on Ice, the Piccolo Zoppé Italian Circus, dog shows, and daily livestock events, there is enough family programming to fill more than one visit.
The first Sunday, September 20, includes Sensory-Friendly Time from 10am to 2pm, with reduced noise and brightness at select activities. The Accessibility Expo is that same day from noon to 5pm in the Modern Living Building.
Discount Days Worth Planning Around
The fair runs several discount days that can save a family a good chunk if you plan around them.
Thrifty Thursdays (September 17 and 24): $8 outside-gate admission if purchased by September 16, $10 at the gate. Ride-all-day armband: $25.
Military Monday (September 21): free outside-gate admission for active-duty, retirees, veterans, and their spouses with military ID.
Taste of the Fair Tuesday (September 22): $4 outside-gate admission, $4 food items at participating vendors, a $4 coupon book, and $4 America 250 Wheel tickets.
Senior Day (September 23): free admission for guests 55 and older with ID. A free senior accessibility shuttle runs from the Hurricane Harbor parking lot from 9am to 9:45pm.
College Day (September 24): $5 gate admission with a current college ID.
Where and When
The Oklahoma State Fair Park is located at 3001 General Pershing Blvd, Oklahoma City, OK 73107. The fairgrounds sit about ten minutes west of downtown OKC and are accessible off I-40 and I-44.
Kids age five and under are free every day. Trained service animals are permitted throughout the grounds.
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🗝️I’m Angela Cheatwood, your Oklahoma City Realtor® sharing the lifestyle, homes, and Oklahoma City suburbs you’ve been searching for.
Serving the Oklahoma City suburbs including Mustang, OK & Yukon, OK, Tuttle, OK, Newcastle, OK, Edmond, OK & the Oklahoma City metro
