Jerome County Fair & Rodeo

The Jerome County Fair & Rodeo takes up one week of August on the fairgrounds at 205 North Fir Street in Jerome, just off Interstate 84. The 2026 fair ran Monday, August 10, through Saturday, August 15, under the theme “Stars, Stripes, & Summer Nights,” in honor of America 250. The fair map for that year lays out the grounds along North Fir, North Ironwood and North Date streets and Highway 25. On it are the DePew Arena and its grandstand; the Messersmith Building, which holds the exhibits and indoor vendors; a beef barn, a swine barn and a small-animal barn; the 4-H Big and Small Show Rings; a food row, a beer garden, a carnival lot, 4-H camping, and a corner marked Tiny Town.

The parade comes first, on the Saturday before fair week. In 2026 it stepped off at 10 a.m. on August 8 and ran from Jerome High School along 10th Avenue East to Jerome Middle School. The route was new that year because of construction on Main Street. Walkers may hand out candy but may not throw it. The fair reported afterward that the longer route and added seating had been a “BIG improvement.” Judges gave first place among the floats to OXXO Quickstop, second to North Canyon Medical Center, and third to The Soda Pop.

Show rings in the morning, free stage at night

Each morning of the 2026 fair belonged to the barns. The dairy show opened Tuesday at 8:30 in the Big Show Ring. Wednesday began with beef at 8, then turkeys at 9:30 followed by poultry, and sheep at 1 p.m. Thursday brought swine at 8:30 and four goat shows in the Small Show Ring: Cloverbud at noon, Pygmy at 12:45, dairy goats at 1:30 and meat goats at 3. Rabbits and then cats were shown in the Small Animal Barn. On Friday morning the Big Show Ring held Pee-Wee Showmanship for children aged 2 to 8. The fair says the class is meant in part “to allow non-farm families a chance to connect with the show ring.” The Market Animal Sale began Saturday at 9 a.m. in the Large Show Ring, and the sales committee had its hospitality tent open from 7:30.

At the 2025 fair the Gutierrez sisters of Jerome, Olivia, 15, and Natalie, 14, brought turkeys. “This is George; he’s a tom, which is a male turkey,” Olivia told Idaho News 6. Natalie said, “It gives you more responsibility because you have to feed them every day.” Olivia described weigh-in: “You weigh them in, and you’re so happy because this is your big bird.” In 2026 the herdsmanship award, for keeping a clean area and well-tended animals, went to Olivia Gibson as grand champion, with Ember McKay as reserve champion and Cysen Hanson as Most Patriotic.

Open-class entries in antiques, arts, home arts, kitchen and pantry, photography, produce and youth are taken in at the Messersmith Building. From Tuesday on, cultural exhibits and 4-H exhibits open there at noon.

Most commercial vendors and concessions opened at 4 p.m., and many of them opened early that week. The fair counts more than 30 vendors, indoors and out. They sell deep-fried and on-a-stick fair food, cold treats and sweets, Western wear and gifts. In 2026 three judges walked the grounds for a couple of nights to choose vendor awards. Best commercial vendor went to the Northside Military Museum, which had turned a bus into its exhibit. One judge said of it, “Well, you can’t get more American than that!” Cutthroat Coffee won the food and drink award, with themed touches in every drink. The Soda Pop was the only vendor on all three judges’ lists and took what the fair called the G.O.A.T. Award.

The Free Stage runs into the evening. On Tuesday through Saturday the Jerome County Sheriff’s K-9 teams gave demonstrations at 3:30. Magic Ben performed at 5:30 and 8:30, and was also seen strolling the grounds. Sword swallower Dan Meyer went on at 6:30 and 9:30. Hypnotist Corrie J appeared one night only, Tuesday at 7:30. The Legion bingo stand opens at 6. In the Fun Zone there are face painting by KFF Ink, dry and wet bounce houses, and a dunk tank staffed each shift by a different local group. In 2026 these included the Jerome High School cross country team, the middle school dance team, Heritage Academy, Canyonside Christian School and the Jerome Performing Arts Boosters.

On the last Saturday the Free Stage held the all-ages Mullet Competition, open, the fair said, to everything “from tiny tails to legendary locks.” In 2026 three judges, Craig, Josh and Duane, awarded titles for Best Fake Mullet, Best Business in the Front, Party in the Back, and Best Overall Mullet. Jason was the emcee.

Brown’s Amusements runs the midway. It is open 4 to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from noon on Friday and Saturday. Danny and Sherry Brown, second-generation amusement people, started the company in 1979 as independent concession owners. Their route began in Colorado, Wyoming and Idaho and has since added Arizona, Utah and New Mexico, and they now run more than 50 pieces of equipment. Pre-sale ride tickets are sold over the counter in Jerome at La Campesina, Aracely’s, Valley Wide Cooperative and the fair office.

Three nights in the DePew Arena

The PRCA ProRodeo fills the grandstand on the first three nights of the fair. Pre-rodeo activities begin at 7:15 and the rodeo at 7:30. In 2026 Monday was Family Night, presented by Scoular. Tuesday was Patriot Night, when veterans and active-duty military got in free and an F-15 flew over right after the National Anthem. Wednesday was Jae Foundation Night, sponsored by Scarrow Meats. PeeWee events are held as well.

The PRCA named the Jerome rodeo one of its Top Five Small Rodeos for 2020. In 2025 fair manager Amanda Worthington told Idaho News 6 that the rodeo had also won the 2024 Medium Rodeo of the Year award. “To put that into perspective, 400 rodeos across the nation compete for that award, and Jerome County is the one that won it,” she said. The fair office, according to its own page, is “just two of us wearing all the hats.” Worthington put it this way: “Just the number of people it takes to help out with this fair and rodeo is incredible!”

The rest of the week’s grandstand program changes each night. In 2026 the Midget Wrestling Warriors came on Thursday. The Friday concert was headlined by Chayce Beckham, whom the fair describes as the only artist to win American Idol singing his own songs. The fair’s Facebook page named Dawson Moon & The Gamblers, a Nashville recording act based in Pocatello, as the opener. The printed “Plan Your Day” schedule listed The Martin Boys as special guest instead. Earlier Friday headliners were Ian Munsick in 2021, Nate Smith in 2022, Warren Zeiders in 2023, Sam Barber in 2024 and Tyler Braden in 2025. The Pandamonium Sled Pulls, with diesel trucks, closed the 2026 fair on Saturday at 5:30.

Outside fair week the grounds stay in use, with RV camping, winter storage and events such as the Jerome Rotary Club’s September 2026 dinner and auction for its Christmas Basket Project.

A street fair on Main, 1917

The fair’s history was written by Linda Helms, and it begins before the county did. Jerome was founded in 1907, Eden in 1910 and Hazelton in 1911, but Jerome County did not exist until February 8, 1919. Before that, Jerome lay in Lincoln County and the other two towns in Minidoka County.

The first documented fair in Jerome was a street fair on Main Street, between the North and South Parks, held September 4 to 8, 1917. The North Side News advertised it: “Wanted, 2000 men and their friends and relatives at the Street Fair and Carnival, Jerome, September 4-8. Three big shows, Merry Go Round, Ferris Wheel. Ten other attraction. Come and Bring the Kiddies.” Booths offered home-grown produce, homemade foods and “fancy work.” Because of the World War, no fair was held in 1918.

In September 1919 Eden held the First Segregation Fair, named for the first segregation of Northside water from the Snake River. It was billed as the “Only fair to be held on this side of the river that is convenient to attend.” Bands from Jerome and Hazelton played and collected money for the Salvation Army, and home-grown sweet potatoes were among the produce on display.

The first Jerome County Fair was held September 21, 22 and 23, 1920, on twelve acres in the west part of Jerome. The grounds had temporary buildings and fences, with water, electric power and lights. The dates fell a week after Hazelton’s Harvest Festival, where Filer won the football game. September suited the fair because produce was further along by then, and because winning entries were carefully packed and taken the next week to the State Fair in Boise. That first fair had a band concert, baking contests, canning demonstrations, and class essays on “Why we need good roads.” The Red Cross sponsored Better Baby Contests judged by doctors from other towns. First prize was $25 in gold, and second prize was “something useful.” The gold went to William Shappe, Sadie Iona Butner, Althea Louise James, Lilla Mae Callen, Howard Eugene Brown, Betty Mae Goff and Doris Holland.

In 1921 a new half-mile circular track carried foot races, horse races and auto races, and the fair also had a baseball game and wrestling matches. For the next 24 years the fair kept to mid-September.

Phyllis Claar and the first rodeo

The first Jerome County Rodeo ran September 13, 14 and 15, 1945, and was open to all residents of the North Side area. Its events were bronc riding, bull dogging, bareback riding, Brahma bull riding and calf roping. Almost 11,000 people watched over the three evenings, and paid attendance came to just under $10,000. That year part of the fairgrounds buildings were housing farm laborers. The produce and fancy work went to the American Legion Hall instead, while the animal judging stayed at the fairgrounds.

The first Rodeo Queen contest was held the same year. It was free to enter and open to women riders 14 and older from the North Side, and organizers hoped at least 40 would come. Each rider and her horse went before the judges in the new grandstand at the race track and rodeo arena. The Jerome Riding Club put up $50 and a western cowgirl outfit for the queen, and $12.50 for each of her two attendants. Phyllis Claar was named queen. Her attendants were Mrs. Keith Johansen, the former Barbara Burks, and Wanda Cole. Each night the three rode in the rodeo’s opening feature.

The fair marked its 100th year in 2020, August 10 through 15, with three nights of PRCA rodeo, Ned LeDoux, and a Saturday-night mud drag. Before the 2023 fair, the Fair & Rodeo and the Jerome County Commissioners put up a new steel and aluminum grandstand, adding almost 1,000 seats. Its ribbon cutting, held to honor the old grandstand, opened the 2023 fair on Monday, August 7.