Carnival & Fair News

The Washington County Fair, held at Legacy Park in Hurricane, Utah, celebrated its 165th year with a rodeo, demolition derby, carnival, boxing, and concerts. Running April 10 through 18, the fair offered free admission and free parking this year, along with plenty of activities in tribute to America's 250th birthday year.

The fair began with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and patriotic musical presentation by elementary school students from La Verkin, Utah, along with free servings of cake and ice cream. And that was only the beginning of the fun.

The Rocky Mountain Professional Rodeo Association presented a wide range of events, from bull riding to barrel racing and team roping. Tickets for these events were priced at $10. Also appearing at the fair was the free Special Needs Rodeo, in which participants were paired with rodeo pals for both riding and non-riding events.

On the final Saturday of the fair, the popular Demolition Derby drew crowds with ticket prices set at $30 in advance and $35 on the day of the event. Another strong attraction for fairgoers was the fair's 103-year-old boxing competition tradition, which brought participants from throughout the region to compete for the Washington County Title Belt. The fair even has its own boxing arena, and tickets were priced at $15.



Multiple events took place in the fairgrounds' Covered Outdoor Arena, including a concert by national pop artists Neon Trees, with tickets priced from $29 to $65. Other performances included Tennessee River, an Alabama tribute band, with tickets ranging from $20 to $35, and Fresh Horses, a Garth Brooks tribute band, also priced between $20 and $35.

Along with the main stage, two additional performance venues stayed busy with entertainment every day. The America 250 Stage featured more than 20 bands, including River House Band and Sky Olson and The Valley. The community stage offered 23 different acts, including a Taiko drumming group, demonstrations by Mad Scientist, and performances by Dance Fuzion and School of Rock, among others.

New attractions this year included a tractor pull and the racing antics of Cook's Pig Racers. Returning favorites included the Young 4-H Entrepreneur Fair, where kids sold their own products, a Kids Cookie Contest, and a salsa contest. Also returning was an antique tractor display presented by the Color Country Antique Machinery Association.

The carnival, operated by California based Carnival Midway Attractions, offered unlimited ride wristbands priced between $30 and $40. As an alternative, rides during Monday and Tuesday family nights were priced at $3 each.



One fair event took place outside the fairgrounds. The Washington County Fair Parade traveled through nearby St. George with the theme “America: Past, Present, and Future,” and offered a variety of cash prizes for participants in multiple categories. More than 80 entries participated this year. The Miss Washington County Scholarship Organization won Best Theme, while the commissioner's choice award went to St. George Musical Theater.

Running alongside the fair during the event's final weekend was the America 250 Founders Festival, featuring colonial-era activities, craft demonstrations, and games.

Meanwhile, throughout the fairgrounds and exhibit halls, there was plenty to see, with exhibits selected from more than 2,000 entries in the arts, food, horticulture, quilting, and other categories. Fairgoers could also enjoy woodcarving demonstrations, an animal education center, and a petting zoo featuring sheep, horses, turkeys, emus, fainting goats, and pot-bellied pigs. Cow-milking and honey-making demonstrations took place daily.



Additional animal exhibits included a 4-H horse show, rabbit show, chicken show, and even an animal costume contest.

Food was also a major focus of this year's fair, with 12 different cooking demonstrations, two food and beer gardens, and classic fair foods ranging from cotton candy and kettle corn to turkey legs, barbecue, street corn, and corn dogs. Popular beverages included flavored lemonades such as strawberry peach and mango peach, as well as slushies and frozen lemonade.

According to county fair director Susi Lafaele, “The early pioneers… exhibit[ed] their livestock and their corn, the cotton they were growing at that time, as well as their articles of clothing,” and that sense of pride in agricultural achievement persists today. With free admission this year, Lafaele said her team hoped people throughout the area would come “not just once, but numerous times.”

She noted that “The County Fair is still at its core to promote agriculture and what our residents have grown and made,” despite the fact that “over the years, we have added various events like the demolition derby.”

The fair's mission has also remained consistent through the years, which she described as providing “a safe, family-friendly environment where fun, education and entertainment meet innovation through agriculture, arts, music, food and local talent,” while the fair “honors our past, showcases our present, and inspires future generations.”

She added that this year's fair featured more than 90 local performers, 70 local retail vendors, and 35 locally based food concessions.

The fair was recently named Best of Southern Utah Annual Events for both 2024 and 2025. Typically, the event draws approximately 60,000 attendees and generates around $5.8 million in revenue. Exact attendance numbers were not yet available for this year, but free admission proved to be a strong draw, along with the musical events, rodeo, and ever-popular Demolition Derby.