Tehama County California Fair Schedule

The Tehama County California Fair Schedule centers on the Tehama District Fair, an annual agricultural and community event held at the Tehama District Fairgrounds in Red Bluff. The fair reflects Tehama County’s North State identity through livestock, agriculture, youth programs, carnival attractions, rodeo, motorsports, competitive exhibits, food, and live entertainment.

The 2026 Tehama District Fair was scheduled for April 30 through May 3, 2026, at the Tehama District Fairgrounds, 650 Antelope Boulevard, Red Bluff. The 106th edition used the theme “Race for the Roses” and featured four days of fair activities, including livestock programs, carnival rides, food, entertainment, rodeo, freestyle motocross, a destruction derby, and truck and tractor pulls.

The 2027 Tehama District Fair is scheduled for April 29 through May 2, 2027. The 2027 dates have been officially posted, while the complete entertainment lineup and some detailed competition information are released separately as the fair approaches.

Fair Overview and Fast Facts

The Tehama District Fairgrounds are located at 650 Antelope Boulevard in Red Bluff, placing the fair in the county seat and within one of Tehama County’s principal commercial and civic areas. The location also makes the fair accessible to residents from Red Bluff, Corning, Los Molinos, Gerber, Cottonwood, Tehama, and surrounding rural communities.

The fair has a distinctly agricultural foundation. Tehama County combines irrigated farming in the Sacramento Valley with ranching and foothill landscapes, creating a local economy in which livestock, crops, orchards, and agricultural services remain important parts of community life.

The fair’s four-day format allows agricultural competitions and livestock activities to operate alongside a substantial entertainment program. Unlike fairs that focus almost entirely on carnival attractions, the Tehama District Fair gives prominent space to rodeo, motorsports, livestock, youth exhibits, and agricultural participation.

The 2027 fair will run from Thursday, April 29, through Sunday, May 2. Thursday carnival hours are scheduled for 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., Friday from 4 p.m. to midnight, Saturday from noon to midnight, and Sunday from noon to 10 p.m. Building hours are scheduled for 4–8 p.m. Thursday and Friday and noon–8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Tehama County Fair Schedule 2026

The 2026 Tehama District Fair took place from April 30 through May 3, 2026. The four-day program combined traditional agricultural-fair activities with a particularly strong motorsports and arena schedule.

Thursday’s program included the CCPRA Rodeo, giving the opening night a strong Western and livestock-oriented character. Friday featured Freestyle Motocross, bringing motorcycle competition and action into the fair’s entertainment program.

Saturday’s schedule included the Destruction Derby, one of the fair’s major motorsport attractions. Sunday concluded the fair with Truck and Tractor Pulls, providing an event closely connected to the machinery and agricultural culture of rural Tehama County.

The 2026 schedule also included carnival rides, fair food, livestock, competitive exhibits, youth activities, and live entertainment. The Miss Tehama County competition took place on opening night, while country artist Greylan James performed Saturday evening on the Sean Rix State Farm Stage.

Tehama County Fair Schedule 2027

The 2027 Tehama District Fair is scheduled for April 29 through May 2, 2027.

The fair’s official 2027 hours establish a Thursday-through-Sunday schedule. On Thursday, April 29, carnival hours are scheduled from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., with exhibit buildings open from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday’s carnival operates from 4 p.m. to midnight, while buildings remain open until 8 p.m.

Saturday, May 1, expands the schedule to noon through midnight for the carnival, with buildings open until 8 p.m. Sunday, May 2, has carnival hours from noon to 10 p.m. and building hours from noon to 8 p.m.

The 2027 entertainment page indicates that the detailed entertainment schedule is still being developed. Visitors should therefore avoid assuming that every 2026 performer or attraction will return in exactly the same format.

The 2027 dates provide a useful planning point for exhibitors, livestock families, vendors, volunteers, and visitors, but individual competition deadlines should be checked when the 2027 exhibitor handbook becomes available.

History and Origins

The Tehama District Fair has a long agricultural history in Red Bluff and has developed into one of the county’s most recognizable annual community gatherings. The 2026 event was identified as the 106th Tehama District Fair, demonstrating the longevity of the fair tradition in the county.

That history is closely connected to Tehama County’s agricultural development. The Sacramento River corridor and irrigated valley lands have supported farming, orchards, livestock production, and related agricultural businesses for generations.

Red Bluff’s position as the county seat has also helped make it a natural gathering point for communities spread across the county. Farmers, ranchers, families, youth exhibitors, agricultural organizations, and local businesses can meet at the fairgrounds during an event that combines agricultural education with recreation.

The fair has evolved beyond a traditional livestock and agricultural exhibition. Modern Tehama District Fair programming combines the agricultural foundation with rodeo, motocross, destruction derby events, truck and tractor pulls, carnival attractions, concerts, pageants, and other entertainment.

That combination allows the fair to preserve its agricultural identity while remaining relevant to residents who attend primarily for family entertainment.

Comparing the Sutter County California Fair Schedule with the Tehama County California Fair Schedule highlights two distinctive agricultural fair traditions in Northern California. Sutter County’s Yuba-Sutter Fair in Yuba City reflects the Sacramento Valley’s farming heritage through livestock programs, 4-H and FFA activities, competitive exhibits, carnival attractions, food, and family entertainment, while Tehama County’s fair in Red Bluff combines agricultural and youth programs with rodeo, livestock, motorsports, carnival rides, and live entertainment. Reviewing both schedules helps families, exhibitors, and fair enthusiasts plan visits around agricultural competitions, livestock shows, youth activities, arena events, and seasonal community celebrations.

Agricultural Competitions and Livestock Shows

Livestock remains one of the central components of the Tehama District Fair. The county’s ranching traditions and agricultural economy provide a natural setting for youth livestock projects and competitive animal programs.

The fair’s livestock program includes market-animal participation and youth agricultural projects. Exhibitors prepare their animals well before fair week, completing ownership, tagging, health, recordkeeping, and other requirements before arriving at the fairgrounds.

The 2026 livestock program included market steers, hogs, lambs, goats, poultry, rabbits, and other livestock-related activities. Livestock exhibitors also participate in weigh-ins, judging, showmanship, and the Junior Livestock Auction.

The Junior Livestock Auction is particularly significant because it connects youth agricultural education with local businesses, families, buyers, and community supporters. The auction gives young exhibitors an opportunity to present the results of months of animal care and project work.

Tehama County’s agricultural landscape makes the livestock program more than a competition. It provides a public demonstration of the practical skills, responsibility, and agricultural knowledge developed by local youth.

Fair Schedule Structure

The Tehama District Fair uses a compact four-day schedule that concentrates its major attractions between Thursday and Sunday.

Thursday provides an evening opening designed around after-work attendance, with the carnival opening at 4 p.m. The fair’s rodeo programming gives opening night a strong Western character.

Friday also begins at 4 p.m. and continues until midnight, making it one of the fair’s primary evening entertainment periods.

Saturday offers the longest daytime schedule, opening at noon and continuing through midnight. This makes Saturday particularly useful for families who want time for livestock exhibits, buildings, carnival rides, food, and evening arena entertainment.

Sunday also begins at noon and closes in the evening, providing a final opportunity to see exhibits, participate in carnival activities, enjoy food, and attend the closing entertainment.

Because the fair lasts only four days, visitors who want to see specific livestock competitions or arena events should consult the daily schedule instead of assuming that every attraction operates throughout the entire fair.

Entertainment, Rides, and Midway

The carnival midway is an important part of the Tehama District Fair experience. The carnival brings rides, games, lights, and family attractions to the fairgrounds, creating a recreational area alongside the agricultural and livestock exhibits.

Carnival hours extend into the evening on Thursday and Friday and remain open late on Saturday. This schedule allows visitors to combine daytime agricultural activities with nighttime rides and entertainment.

Fair food is another major attraction. Traditional fair concessions provide familiar carnival favorites while adding to the social atmosphere of the event.

The entertainment program is particularly varied. The 2026 fair combined rodeo, freestyle motocross, destruction derby, truck and tractor pulls, a county pageant, and live music.

The fair’s arena and stage programming therefore provides several different reasons for residents to attend. A visitor interested in agriculture may focus on livestock and exhibits, while another visitor may come primarily for rodeo, motorsports, carnival rides, or music.

Open Class and Amateur Competitions

Competitive exhibits provide another connection between the fair and everyday life in Tehama County. Still exhibits, floriculture, horticulture, creative projects, and youth departments give residents opportunities to display work beyond livestock.

The 2026 exhibitor handbook established separate deadlines for livestock, still exhibits, floriculture, and horse-show entries. That structure reflects the different preparation requirements associated with each department.

Youth departments are particularly important because they allow children and teenagers to participate in the fair even when they are not raising livestock. Exhibits can demonstrate artistic ability, agricultural knowledge, gardening skills, craftsmanship, photography, or other practical interests.

Horticulture and floriculture entries also fit naturally within Tehama County’s agricultural environment. Residents can display produce, plants, flowers, and related projects that reflect the county’s growing conditions and gardening traditions.

Exhibitors should always use the current year’s handbook because entry classes, deadlines, rules, and department requirements can change between fair years.

Demolition Derby, Tractor Pulls, and Motorsport Events

Motorsports are an unusually prominent part of the Tehama District Fair schedule. The fairgrounds maintain an outdoor arena that hosts rodeo and action-oriented events, giving the annual fair a strong motorsport component alongside its agricultural programs.

The 2026 fair featured Freestyle Motocross on Friday, bringing professional motorcycle action to the fairgrounds.

The 2026 Destruction Derby was scheduled for Saturday, creating one of the weekend’s major evening attractions.

The fair concluded with Truck and Tractor Pulls on Sunday, an event that fits particularly well with the agricultural and machinery culture of Tehama County.

These events distinguish the Tehama District Fair from smaller agricultural fairs that devote most of their entertainment schedule to concerts and carnival rides. At Tehama, motorsport and machinery events are integrated directly into the fair’s four-day entertainment structure.

The 2027 program should be checked when the official entertainment schedule is finalized rather than assuming that the 2026 lineup will remain identical.

4-H and FFA Youth Programs

Youth agricultural programs provide an important educational foundation for the Tehama District Fair. Local 4-H and FFA participants can use the fair to demonstrate skills developed through livestock, agriculture, horticulture, and other projects.

Livestock projects require consistent responsibility before the fair even begins. Young exhibitors must care for animals, maintain appropriate records, learn handling techniques, prepare for judging, and follow the requirements established for their department.

The fair also creates an opportunity for young people to interact with agricultural professionals, judges, families, buyers, volunteers, and other exhibitors.

Tehama County’s combination of farming and ranching makes these youth programs particularly relevant. The fair gives young residents a public venue in which agricultural knowledge is demonstrated rather than simply discussed.

The Junior Livestock Auction adds an economic and educational dimension because successful exhibitors can present their animals to buyers and community supporters after the competitive portion of the livestock program.

Fairgrounds Facilities and Layout

The Tehama District Fairgrounds are located at 650 Antelope Boulevard in Red Bluff and serve as a year-round event facility rather than a property used only during fair week.

The grounds include exhibition buildings, carnival areas, livestock facilities, an outdoor arena, stages, and other spaces necessary for a multi-department agricultural fair.

The outdoor arena is particularly important because it accommodates rodeo, motorsports, and other major entertainment events. The fair’s arena programming gives the grounds a more active event character than a layout focused exclusively on exhibit buildings.

Livestock facilities provide areas for animal housing, preparation, judging, and related youth programs, while exhibit buildings accommodate competitive entries and other displays.

The fairgrounds also host events outside the annual fair, making the property a continuing community gathering place in Red Bluff.

Getting There: Directions and Logistics

The Tehama District Fairgrounds are located at 650 Antelope Boulevard, Red Bluff, California 96080.

Red Bluff is positioned along Interstate 5 in Tehama County, making the fairgrounds accessible to visitors traveling from other parts of the Sacramento Valley and the northern North State.

Visitors coming from communities such as Corning, Los Molinos, Cottonwood, and other Tehama County areas can reach Red Bluff through the county’s highway and local road network.

Because fair traffic increases around major evening attractions, visitors attending the rodeo, motocross, destruction derby, concerts, or truck and tractor pulls should allow additional time for arrival and parking.

Visitors attending specifically for livestock competitions should plan around the livestock schedule because animal check-in, weigh-ins, judging, and auction activities do not necessarily follow the public carnival hours.

Volunteer and Vendor Opportunities

The Tehama District Fair depends on participation from exhibitors, volunteers, agricultural organizations, vendors, sponsors, youth leaders, performers, and community members.

Vendor opportunities provide local businesses and organizations with a way to participate in one of Red Bluff’s major annual gatherings. Food and commercial vendors also contribute to the variety of services available to visitors.

Exhibitors can participate through livestock, still exhibits, horticulture, floriculture, horse programs, youth departments, and other competitive areas.

Volunteers are especially important because a four-day fair with livestock, carnival operations, arena events, exhibits, food, and entertainment requires coordination across many departments.

People interested in participating in the 2027 fair should monitor the applicable exhibitor, vendor, livestock, and volunteer information rather than relying on 2026 deadlines.

Economic and Community Impact

The Tehama District Fair provides an annual economic and social gathering point for Red Bluff and surrounding Tehama County communities.

Local businesses, food vendors, concession operators, exhibitors, agricultural organizations, and sponsors all participate in an event that attracts residents to the fairgrounds for several consecutive days.

The agricultural component also supports the county’s broader identity. Livestock exhibits, youth projects, horticulture, and competitive entries make agriculture visible to visitors who may not regularly interact with farming and ranching operations.

The Junior Livestock Auction creates another connection between agriculture and the local business community. Buyers and supporters help recognize the work performed by youth exhibitors while strengthening relationships between agricultural families and the broader community.

The fair’s economic effect also extends beyond agriculture. Carnival attractions, entertainment, motorsports, food, vendors, and other activities bring visitors into Red Bluff and contribute to the area’s seasonal activity.

Comparing Tehama County Fair to Nearby Fairs

The Tehama District Fair has a particularly strong combination of agriculture, Western traditions, and motorsports.

The nearby Shasta District Fair in Anderson also has a North State agricultural identity, but the Tehama fair distinguishes itself through the prominence of its rodeo, motocross, destruction derby, and truck and tractor pull programming.

The Glenn County Fair in Orland provides another comparison from the Sacramento Valley. Glenn County’s fair has a strong agricultural and livestock foundation, while Tehama’s program places unusually visible emphasis on arena entertainment and motorsports.

The Siskiyou Golden Fair in Yreka offers a different northern California agricultural setting shaped by mountain communities, livestock, and rural traditions.

The Tehama District Fair therefore occupies a distinctive position among Northern California fairs. Its Red Bluff location, agricultural foundation, youth programs, Western events, carnival, and motorsport schedule combine to create an event closely associated with Tehama County’s rural and agricultural character.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the dates and hours of the Tehama County Fair?

The 2026 Tehama District Fair was held April 30 through May 3, 2026.

The 2027 Tehama District Fair is scheduled for April 29 through May 2, 2027. Carnival hours are scheduled for 4–10 p.m. Thursday, 4 p.m.–midnight Friday, noon–midnight Saturday, and noon–10 p.m. Sunday. Exhibit buildings are scheduled to operate from 4–8 p.m. Thursday and Friday and noon–8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Where is the Tehama County Fair held?

The fair is held at the Tehama District Fairgrounds, 650 Antelope Boulevard, Red Bluff, California 96080.

The fairgrounds are located in Red Bluff, the county seat of Tehama County.

How much does it cost to attend the Tehama County Fair?

Admission prices vary by year and ticket type. For 2026, the fair offered a special free-admission Family Day on Thursday, April 30, while children age two and younger were free.

The fair’s 2026 ticket system also included all-in pricing, meaning listed ticket prices included applicable fees. Visitors should check the 2027 admission structure when tickets are released rather than assuming that 2026 prices will remain unchanged.

Is there free parking?

Parking arrangements and prices can change from one fair year to another. Visitors should confirm the current year’s parking information before arriving.

Can I bring my own food and drinks?

Visitors should review the current fairground rules regarding outside food, beverages, coolers, and other personal items. The fair itself offers a substantial selection of food concessions throughout the grounds.

How do I enter an item in the Tehama County Fair?

Exhibitors enter through the Tehama District Fair’s individual competitive departments. Livestock, still exhibits, floriculture, horticulture, horse programs, and youth departments can have different entry deadlines and requirements.

For the 2026 fair, livestock entries had an earlier deadline than still exhibits and floriculture entries. The 2027 deadlines should be confirmed through the applicable exhibitor handbook.

Is the Tehama County Fair appropriate for young children?

Yes. The fair offers carnival rides, games, food, agricultural exhibits, livestock, youth activities, live entertainment, and family-oriented programming.

Children also have opportunities to participate directly through youth competitive departments and agricultural education programs.

Are pets allowed at the Tehama County Fair?

Visitors should check the current fair’s animal policy before bringing a household pet. Livestock and approved exhibition animals are subject to separate fair rules, while service animals are handled under applicable accessibility requirements.

Does the Tehama County Fair have a demolition derby?

Yes. The 2026 Tehama District Fair featured a Destruction Derby on Saturday, making motorsport one of the fair’s major entertainment components.

The 2027 schedule should be checked for the exact return of the event and its timing.

Who organizes the Tehama County Fair?

The event is the Tehama District Fair, held at the Tehama District Fairgrounds in Red Bluff. The fair operates as an agricultural district fair serving Tehama County and its surrounding communities.

Is camping available at the Tehama County Fair?

Visitors should confirm current camping and overnight-stay policies with the fairgrounds before making plans. Availability can depend on fair operations and other events occupying the grounds.

Hotels and other lodging options are available in and around Red Bluff for visitors traveling from outside Tehama County.

What happens if the fair is cancelled due to weather?

Outdoor events in Tehama County can be affected by extreme heat, wind, wildfire smoke, poor air quality, or other hazardous conditions. Individual performances or arena activities may be delayed or modified if conditions become unsafe.

Visitors should rely on current fair announcements if weather or an emergency affects the published schedule. A change to one activity does not necessarily mean the entire fair will be cancelled.