FORT BEND COUNTY, Texas — It's that time of the year again! The Fort Bend County Fair and Rodeo is back for its 86th year of fun, food and festivities.
The fair will begin Friday and runs until Sunday, Oct. 2. Tickets are on sale now.
EDITORIAL NOTE: The above video is from the 2021 Fort Bend County Fair and Parade.
This year's theme is called: "Generations of Champions."
You can expect everything from a diverse entertainment lineup to a championship BBQ contest.
Fort Bend County Fair Parade
The Fort Bend County Fair and Rodeo parade kicks off the annual event.
The parade will begin at 9 a.m. on Friday. The route will start at the Historic Court House in Richmond and head west down Highway 90-A to Jennetta Street in Rosenberg.
The Parade will have about 200 entries, such as floats, horse-drawn wagons, antique vehicles, trail rides, and marching bands.
This year, Fort Bend County mayors will lead the parade route.
Below is a snapshot of the parade route:
Fair and ticket info
General admission tickets include entry to the rodeo, concerts and more. General admission tickets DO NOT include carnival rides.
FAIR HOURS
- Sept. 23: 10 a.m. to midnight
- Sept. 24: 10 a.m. to 1 a.m.
- Sept. 25: Noon to Midnight:
- Sept. 26: 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.
- Sept. 27: 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.
- Sept. 28: 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.
- Sept. 29: 5 p.m. to midnight
- Sept. 30: 5 p.m. to midnight
- Oct. 1: 10 a.m. to 1 a.m.
- Oct. 2: Noon to 8 p.m.
TICKET PRICES
- Season pass tickets: $40
- Adults: $15 at the gate or $12 online plus a $2 fee
- Children 6-11: $5
- Children 5 and under: Free
Students are free on the first and last day of the fair.
Carnival
The carnival will open a day before the fair on Thursday. Remember, general admission tickets do not include carnival rides.
CARNIVAL HOURS
- Sept. 22: 6p.m. to 11 p.m.
- Sept. 23: 10 a.m. to midnight
- Sept. 24: Noon to 1 a.m.
- Sept. 25: Noon to 11 p.m.
- Sept. 26: 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.
- Sept. 27: 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.
- Sept. 28: 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.
- Sept. 29: 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.
- Sept. 30: 5 p.m. to midnight
- Oct. 1: Noon to midnight
- Oct. 2: Noon to 7 p.m.
Entertainment lineup
- Sept, 23 - Giovannie & the Hired Guns
- Sept. 24 - Kevin Fowler
- Sept. 25 - Secretto
- Sept. 28 - Carson Jeffrey
- Sept. 29 - Jon Stork
- Sept. 30 - Shenandoah
- Oct. 1 – Sammy Kershaw
- Oct. 2 - Bellamy Brothers
Other events
- Livestock shows: There will be 12 livestock shows that will run during fair days, including swine, lamb, goat, turkey, broiler, roaster, steer, rabbit, scramble heifer, commercial halter heifers, pen of two heifers, and bucket calf.
- Fair Queen Contest: Nearly a dozen young ladies between the ages of 15 and 19 will compete in the Fair Queen Scholarship Contest. The winner will be crowned on Friday.
- BBQ cookoff: More than 65 cook-off teams will be competing for the grand prize. The cook-off will run from Sept. 30 through Oct. 1.
- Ag-Tivity Barn
- Petting Zoo
- Mutton Bustin
- Jr Royalty Pageants
- Student Fun Day
- Pet Show
About the fair
The first Fort Bend County Fair was held in 1933. It has grown into one of the largest and most successful fairs in the state of Texas, according to its website.
In 1979, the fair established a program to provide Fort Bend County students with scholarships to Texas colleges and universities. To date, more than 800 scholarships have been awarded.
This year, the Fort Bend County Fair Association has committed more than $1.4 million to Fort Bend students through scholarships and fair auctions this past year.