New Jersey State Fair / Sussex County Farm & Horse Show

Nine Days at the New Jersey State Fair in Augusta

In October 1933, a horse meet in Branchville drew 51 riders across 15 classes and raised $280.43, every dollar of it donated to the Sussex County Tuberculosis League. That small show is the ancestor of the New Jersey State Fair / Sussex County Farm & Horse Show, which now spreads across more than 150 acres in Augusta and pulls roughly 220,000 people through the gates each August. It has been a nonprofit since 1940, has carried the state fair designation since 1999, and runs on the work of more than 1,300 volunteers with no government funding behind it. For a lot of us in northwestern New Jersey, this is the week that marks the end of summer.

For 2026, the fair runs Friday, July 31 through Saturday, August 8. Opening night is 5 to 10 p.m., weekends are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and weekdays open at noon.

The Agriculture Area

Six barns of animals, daily livestock shows, a working milking parlor and the Snook Agricultural Museum sit at the heart of the grounds, along with the Rare Heritage Breeds Educational Center and the North Jersey Antique Engine Shed. The Flower Show Expo and Vegetable Show fills a building with whatever Sussex County farms and gardens managed to produce this year, and the Creative Arts for Home and Hobby contests in the Richards Building are judged on site, baking classes included. Younger kids usually end up in the Farm Fun building.

Grandstand and Carnival

Every night has its own ticketed main event: bull riding Saturday, the demolition derby Sunday and Monday, monster trucks Tuesday and Wednesday, the Championship Pulling Series Thursday, and a truck pull Friday. The midway opens with the gates. Friday, July 31 is Dollar Day, with rides a dollar each in ten-dollar strips.

Tickets, Parking and Discount Days

Gate admission runs $16 for adults 13 to 59, $10 for seniors 60 and up, $5 for kids 6 to 12, and $7 for veterans and active military. After 8 p.m., adults pay $10. Discount days trim it further, including Children’s Day on Tuesday, America 250 Day on Wednesday, and Senior Day on Thursday. Parking is always free. The grounds are smoke-free and pet-free, wheelchairs and scooters rent on site, and the fair happens rain or shine. Augusta is a straight shot up Route 206 from Newton, and Stokes State Forest is a short drive north if you want to stretch the day out.