The Benton County Fair and Rodeo opens Wednesday and runs through Saturday at the Benton County Fairgrounds with a headliner lineup that includes Hunter Hayes and Jacquie Roar, a second year of Battle of the Bands, and attendance that fairgrounds manager Jennifer Martin says has grown every year she’s been on the job.
“I’ve been here for three years now,” Martin said. “Last year we did 2,000 more in attendance than we did the year prior. And when I last checked a couple days ago, we’re up in ticket sales already. I think the weather is really going to be awesome for us this year, and that usually plays a huge factor in how well we do in attendance.”
Overall, Benton County Fair and Rodeo attendance typically runs between 20,000 and 25,000, Martin said.
“My favorite part is seeing the kids show up for the first time and thinking this is bigger, like this is Disneyland to them,” she said.
The main stage lineup opens Wednesday with Family Day, featuring the Matt Baker Comedy and Stunt Show, Bright Heart Circus and Jeff Martin Hypnosis starting at 6 p.m.
Thursday is Senior Day and features the second annual Battle of the Bands, beginning at 4 p.m. The winning act will open for Friday night’s headliner, Queen Nation, a tribute act built around the music of Queen. Last year, the Friday headliner was stranded at an airport due to weather, and Battle of the Bands winners The Raven Kings stepped in to headline in their place.
“This is the second year for Battle of the Bands, and so we have lots of awesome bands coming to perform from like 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.,” Martin said. “Selfishly, I’m gonna say Battle of the Bands is my favorite because it was something that I kind of created, and I’m excited about that.”
Saturday night brings Jacquie Roar, a Season 24 “The Voice” contestant who earned a four-chair turn and finished fourth in the finale, followed by Grammy-nominated multi-instrumentalist Hunter Hayes, whose latest album, “Evergreen,” completes a trilogy that began with “Wild Blue” and “Red Sky.”
“Hunter Hayes has been on my radio nonstop recently because he’s coming here,” Martin said. “And Jacquie Roar is a local, so it’s cool to have somebody who’s local but also been on national TV.”
The Benton County Rodeo, part of the Northwest Professional Rodeo Association circuit, runs Thursday and Friday at 7 p.m., with slack competition following Thursday’s performance. Philomath’s Jessica McLennan is this year’s rodeo queen and her successor will be crowned Friday night. The Larry Bell Memorial All-Girls Rodeo, featuring cowgirls from across the Pacific Northwest in events including team roping, barrel racing and bull riding, is set for Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Martin said 4-H participation is up this year and she also sees a higher number of open-class exhibitors than in 2025. Enrollment in smaller programs tends to swing from year to year.
“I don’t have the exact number … but I do know that they’re up and they actually have more clubs this year,” Martin said about 4-H. “Like this year for our horses, they only had about 15 kids in that program, and it used to be 20 to 30 kids. So it’s kind of shrunk, but other ones have grown so big, like the pigs and the beef.”
4-H and open-class livestock events run Wednesday through Saturday morning with the Lee Allen Memorial Youth Market Auction on Saturday at 3 p.m.
Martin credited the fair’s volunteer base — including the rodeo committee and 4-H, each with hundreds of volunteers — with making the event possible.
“It took me a couple years to realize how many volunteers there are in every area,” she said. “I oversee the whole entire fair, but the rodeo committee has hundreds of volunteers, the 4-H has hundreds of volunteers, and it took me until last year to realize that without them, we would not have a fair.”
A donor gave the fairgrounds a large pole barn over the past year to expand the space available for the youth auction, Martin said. The rodeo arena also received new bucking chutes ahead of this year’s events.
Martin said the fairgrounds layout is largely unchanged from last year. Vendors will again be concentrated in the indoor auditorium, and exhibitors, including a butterfly exhibit, are set up in the main arena.
“No big changes to the layout this year,” Martin said. “We will continue to have that awesome rideable train free to anybody, so they can ride it for free.”
The free rideable train runs out of the Floral Courtyard, which also hosts the community stage — an open platform for local artists, musicians and craftspeople throughout the week — along with new karaoke and trivia nights Thursday and Friday. Other attractions include the Rainier Amusements Carnival, open daily starting at 1 p.m.; the Funporium in the Central Plaza, with robotics, model trains and the Butterfly Encounter; the Willamette Valley Fiddle Competition on Saturday; and the Beard, Mustache and Goatee Competition Saturday afternoon in the Floral Courtyard.
The fair runs 11 a.m. to midnight each day. Gate admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors (60-plus) and youth ages 7-16, and free for children 6 and under. Season passes are $30 for adults and $24 for seniors and youth. Parking is $5.
All ticket information with links to purchase can be found online.
Wednesday’s Family Fun Day offers free admission for kids 16 and under, and Thursday’s Senior Day offers free admission for those 60 and older, including an 11 a.m. ice cream social and bingo near the main stage. Active, reserve and retired military and National Guard members receive free gate admission every day with valid ID.
All concerts and rodeo performances are included with fair admission. The full schedule is available online at bentoncountyfair.net.
“Just be prepared to have fun,” Martin said. “And if you see anybody from the fair like working and walking around, just tell them thank you, because it does take a lot of hard work to put it all together. But it is so worth it at the end of the day.”
