When the gates swing open at noon on October 1, the Arizona State Fair will begin its 142nd edition — a run that stretches through November 1 at the fairgrounds on the northeast corner of 19th Avenue and McDowell Road in Phoenix. The event is open Thursdays through Sundays, with gates opening at noon each day. Last entry is 9 p.m. on Thursdays and Sundays and 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, though closing times shift with crowds and whatever is still happening on the grounds. The barn, coliseum halls and shopping pavilion typically shut down between 9 and 10 p.m.
What makes the number 142 worth pausing on is that it predates the state itself. The fair traces its origins to 1884, when residents of the Arizona Territory organized what was then called the Arizona Territorial Fair to provide family entertainment. Arizona would not become a state until February 14, 1912, so the fair has been running longer than Arizona has existed as a state. The first fairgrounds sat near the banks of the Salt River; the event moved to its current location just north of downtown Phoenix in the early 1900s, and it has occupied that McDowell Road site since 1905. Over the decades the fair has been interrupted by cotton crop failures, the Great Depression, both World Wars and the COVID-19 pandemic, but it has otherwise been a fixture of the October calendar. From 1946 to 2019 and again since 2021, it has been held annually.
The fair is officially known as the Arizona Exposition and State Fair, and it operates as a self-supporting state agency that receives no money from the state's General Fund. The fairgrounds themselves do double duty throughout the year, hosting the Maricopa County Fair, the Arizona National Livestock Show, the Maricopa Home and Garden Show and a range of tradeshows and other events. The fair consistently ranks among the top state fairs in the country by yearly attendance, drawing over a million visitors annually — one recent edition brought close to 1.4 million people through the gates during a 23-day run.
Music has long been one of the fair's biggest draws, and the 2026 Coliseum Concert Series continues that tradition at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum. All shows begin at 7 p.m. and have no opening act. The Gin Blossoms, a band with deep Arizona roots, open the series on October 2. Becky G performs October 9, All Time Low on October 10, The Offspring on October 16, Russell Dickerson on October 17 and Public Enemy on October 24. Concert tickets guarantee a reserved seat and include fair admission. Beyond the Coliseum, The Backyard stage hosts tribute bands on Fridays and Saturdays and a Battle of the Bands competition on Thursdays.
The Coliseum itself carries its own history. Groundbreaking took place on August 11, 1964, and the arena opened on November 3, 1965, at a cost of about $7 million. It was built as a war memorial and is owned and operated by the Arizona Exposition and State Fair Board. With a capacity of 14,870, it served as the original home of the Phoenix Suns from 1968 to 1992, earning the nickname "The Madhouse on McDowell," and also hosted indoor soccer, professional roller hockey, minor league ice hockey and roller derby over the years.
The Grandstand Series brings rodeo and motorsport to Grandstand Arena with dates and showtimes that vary. The High School Rodeo kicks things off October 1 at 7 p.m. The Native American Rodeo, presented by Desert Diamond Casino West Valley, runs October 2 and 3 with shows at 2 and 7 p.m. each day. Xtreme Bull Riding, presented by The Hondo Rodeo Fest, takes over October 4 at 7 p.m. Figure 8 Races run October 16 through 18 and October 23 through 25, all at 7 p.m. All Star Monster Trucks fill out the schedule: October 9 and 30 at 7 p.m.; October 10 and 31 at 2, 4 and 7 p.m.; and October 11 and November 1 at 1 and 5 p.m.
Daily spectacles round out the entertainment. Circus Luminescence, the Canine Stars Stunt Dog Show, Comedy Hypnotist Tyzen and the Parrots of the Caribbean Bird Display all run the full length of the fair, October 1 through November 1. Native Spirit performs October 1 through 4 and October 15 through 25. The Pualto Polynesian Dancers appear October 8 and 9, and the Golden Phoenix Lion Dancers perform October 29, October 31 and November 1.
Agriculture remains at the center of the fair's identity, a holdover from its exposition roots. The Agriculture Center hosts livestock and small-animal shows throughout the run, all scheduled from noon to 9 p.m. on their dates. Fields of Giants runs October 1 through 4, alongside the Rabbits and Cavy Show and the Poultry Show. The Youth Livestock Show and Market Turkey Show follow October 8 through 11. The Sheep Show runs October 15 through 18, the Meat Goat Show October 22 through 25, and the Open Dairy Goat Show closes out the schedule October 29 through November 1.
Food is organized this year into three categories: "A State of Wonder" for bold, unexpected creations, "Arizona Originals" and "Fair Favorites Reimagined." Notable items include Nashville hot mac and cheese balls, mozzarella-stuffed chorizo Sonoran dogs and bacon-wrapped churros. Every Friday in October is a "$5 Foodie Friday," when stands offer special tastings of their signature items for five dollars.
Tickets purchased online in advance run $20 for adults 13 and older, $14 for seniors 62 and older and $12 for children ages 5 to 12. Children under 4 get in free. Military members and first responders pay $12 on-site with ID. There are also promotions throughout the run, including free admission on Fridays from noon to 6 p.m. for anyone bringing eight cans of nonperishable food.
Ride and game pricing comes in several packages. An Unlimited Ride Wristband is $55 presale including taxes and fees, valid Thursdays or Sundays, and includes unlimited rides until 9 p.m. plus two free games; wristbands must be purchased and redeemed by 7 p.m. A Five-Game Pass is $15, available only on-site on Thursdays and Sundays, with all five games used the day of purchase. The Dream Pass is $45 presale including taxes and fees and covers 10 rides or games in any combination for one person on a single fair day, with online purchase required by 11:59 p.m. on September 30; fair admission is sold separately. The Unlimited Ride Wristband and Dream Pass exclude The Aviator, The Goliath, Titan and Sling Shot. Individual ride tickets can be bought through the FunPass app on iPhones and Androids.
Parking is available in two lots, both paid. The north lot sits at the southeast corner of 19th Avenue and Encanto Boulevard, and the west lot is directly across 19th Avenue. Standard vehicles pay $25 and oversized vehicles $45. A free park and ride operates at Phoenix College, and rideshare users should enter on 19th Avenue and Encanto Boulevard. Parking lots open at 10 a.m. each day the fair is open, and the fair's website recommends planning ahead and arriving early.
For a fair that began as a territorial gathering along the Salt River, the 142nd edition is a reminder of how much has stayed the same. The rides, the rodeos, the livestock barns and the food stands have been drawing Arizonans to the same stretch of McDowell Road for well over a century — long enough that the fair has outlasted the territory that created it.