2026 Clay County Fair Invites Fairgoers to Discover Unexpected Moments Around Every Corner
Spencer, Iowa — Fair Brain has a funny way of changing your plans. One minute you’re on your way to the next exhibit. The next, you’re watching a magician make agriculture come to life, learning something new through music, stopping to marvel at an elephant, or laughing with a strolling performer you never expected to meet. Some Fair Brain moments can’t be planned; they simply happen as you explore the Fairgrounds.
The 2026 Clay County Fair is filled with these kinds of moments, unexpected discoveries that make you pause, smile, and stay just a little longer. This year’s family entertainment lineup features interactive stage shows, educational animal encounters, and strolling performers that bring surprise and excitement to every corner of the Fairgrounds.
Discover Something New
The Good Health Saunas Discovery Stage is designed to spark curiosity through interactive entertainment that blends education with fun. Whether learning through music, experiencing the magic of agriculture, or simply sharing a laugh together, families will find a place where discovering something new is all part of the experience.
September 12-20: Magician Mike Klee returns with The Awesome Ag Magic Show, combining magic, storytelling, audience participation, and balloon artistry to showcase agriculture’s role in everyday life. Equal parts entertaining and educational, the show delights audiences while inspiring curiosity about the world around them.
September 14-18: Who says learning can’t be fun? Math & Music Fusion transforms mathematical concepts into an engaging live performance where music, creativity, and hands-on participation come together. Designed for K–8 students but enjoyable for learners of all ages, the program explores addition, subtraction, fractions, and patterns in a way that makes learning feel like play.
Get Up Close
Located just north of the Farmers Bank Stage, Elephant Encounter, sponsored by Bath Fitter, allows fairgoers to experience the awe and wonder of majestic Asian elephants while learning about their remarkable lives.
Through scheduled educational presentations, guests will learn about elephant behavior, family dynamics, feeding habits, and life in the wild. Between presentations, the elephants will remain on exhibit all nine days, giving guests plenty of opportunities to stop by, observe them up close, and appreciate one of nature’s most extraordinary species.
Expect the Unexpected
Not every show happens on a stage. Throughout the day, entertainment rolls, strolls, and surprises its way across the Fairgrounds as performers bring laughter, unforgettable interactions, and spontaneous moments directly to fairgoers. You never know when you’ll turn the corner and become part of the show.
Making his Clay County Fair debut, The Cup Guy turns ordinary red cups into extraordinary entertainment with comedy, interactive trick shots, daring stunts, and spontaneous audience participation. Whether you’re six or sixty, you never know when you’ll become part of the show.
Returning to the Clay County Fair, Hillbilly Bob once again cruises the grounds in his unforgettable 1929 Model A Ford, “Old Ruthie.” Filled with vintage treasures, hilarious surprises, balloon creations, and plenty of personality, Hillbilly Bob has become one of those unexpected Fair traditions that keep families smiling year after year.
Whether it’s discovering a new favorite performer, learning something you didn’t know before, or simply sharing an unexpected laugh with family and friends, these experiences remind us that some of the best Fair memories are the ones we never planned.
Each act will perform multiple times daily during their scheduled dates, giving fairgoers plenty of opportunities to treat their Fair Brain symptoms with interactive family fun. Official showtimes will be available in the Clay County Fair Daily Guides, which will be released later in August. For more information, visit www.claycountyfair.com.
About The Clay County Fair & Events Center
Rooted in Tradition, the Clay County Fair and Events Center is a year-round facility that annually hosts more than 200 events, including its signature event, the Clay County Fair. Known as “The World’s Greatest County Fair” since 1917, the Clay County Fair attracts more than 300,000 guests each September for nine days of world-class entertainment, competition, food, fun, and the largest farm machinery show at any fair in the United States. Additional information can be found at www.claycountyfair.com.
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