Martha's Vineyard Agricultural Fair: The Complete Guide (2026)

The 164th Martha's Vineyard Agricultural Fair ran August 13–16, 2026, at 35 Panhandle Road in West Tisbury: four days of livestock competitions, skillet-throwing, carnival rides, and island culture that draw more than 30,000 visitors to a 20-acre fairground on an island of roughly 20,000 year-round residents. Dating back to 1858, the fair is operated by the Martha's Vineyard Agricultural Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and it is both a big summer social event and a real working agricultural show. 2026 was the first year on the second full weekend of August instead of the traditional third, a change made for the new carnival provider's schedule. Admission in 2026 was $15 for adults and $10 for children, seniors and veterans, with $10 parking. The 165th Fair is expected August 12–15, 2027; check the Agricultural Society's site before you book.

Filmed September 2023The island moves on: shops, signs and prices may differ from what you see here. The text of this guide was checked October 2026.

168 years of fair history

The story begins on March 26, 1858, when a notice in the Vineyard Gazette called for a meeting to form an agricultural society. By April 3, islanders gathered at the County Academy (now West Tisbury Town Hall) and adopted a constitution. That October, roughly 1,800 people attended the first Agricultural Fair and Cattle Show, held in tents in West Tisbury. The Martha's Vineyard Agricultural Society was formally incorporated in 1859, and the first Agricultural Hall on State Road (now the Grange Hall) was completed on October 1 of that year.

The fair grew from a one-day cattle show to a two-day event (1859), then three days (1925), and finally the current four-day format in 1998. It was suspended from 1942 to 1945 during World War II, and it resumed in 1946. The only cancellation since came in 2020, when the fair went virtual for a year.

In the spring of 1994, 42 volunteer "Barnbusters" traveled to Woodsville, New Hampshire, dismantled a century-old post-and-beam barn board by board and ferried the numbered pieces to the island; that November, with hundreds of islanders helping, they raised the new Agricultural Hall in three days. That barn-raising started the annual BarnRaisers Ball, still held every November.

On August 30, 1995, James Taylor and Carly Simon reunited for "Livestock '95," a benefit concert at the new hall that raised about $200,000 to help pay off the Agricultural Society's new barn.

✓ Facts verified August 2026 Dates, hours and prices checked against official sources when published. Things change on island time. Always confirm with the operator before you travel.

2026 dates, hours and the schedule change

The 164th Annual Martha's Vineyard Agricultural Fair ran Thursday, August 13, through Sunday, August 16, 2026, the first year in its new second-weekend-of-August slot. The 165th Fair is expected Thursday, August 12, through Sunday, August 15, 2027; check the Agricultural Society's website before you book, in case anything shifts.

For repeat visitors: the fair used to fall on the third weekend of August, and from 2026 it moved one week earlier, to the second full weekend. The shift was requested by Fiesta Shows, the new carnival provider, a family-run New Hampshire company that signed a five-year contract in 2025, after 50 years of rides from Cushing Amusements. the old third weekend clashed with Fiesta's late-August schedule, so the Vineyard fair moved up a week; a nice side effect is that fair week no longer collides with Illumination Night and the Oak Bluffs fireworks. The 2026 theme is "Farm • Family • Fair," with a poster painted by Sydney Smith, who signs copies daily at the merch booth.

What happens at the fair

Livestock competitions fill the animal barns and show rings with cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, poultry, rabbits, llamas, alpacas, miniature horses, and miniature donkeys. Animals arrive by ferry; the society makes 100+ ferry reservations starting in October. 4-H youth competitions, reintroduced to the island in 2018 after a four-decade absence, include a cattle-in-hand obstacle course and a costume contest judged by audience applause.

The Women's Skillet Toss is the competition most people know the fair for. Introduced in 1998, it pits roughly 80 women against one another in a cast-iron skillet throwing contest for distance. The custom-made steel skillet weighs about 3 pounds 11 ounces. Women compete in six age classes, from 18–29 up to 80 and older, with ribbons to six places and a trophy for the champion. The event draws 500+ spectators to the Pulling Ring on Sunday at 3 PM, the fair's last big event. The longest throws in recent years have landed in the mid-40s: just over 47 feet in 2025, and more than 45 feet for the 2026 winner.

The Woodsmen's Competition (Saturday, 11 AM) has axe throwing at bullseye targets, chainsaw racing, two-person crosscut sawing, speed log-chopping, and fire building. Both men and women compete.

The Ox Pull is a Thursday anchor event: teams of oxen drag heavy loads across the Pulling Ring in weight divisions. A separate Draft Horse Pull runs on Friday.

The Dog Show (Sunday morning) is judged by breed group, from Sporting and Hound to Herding, in the Pulling Ring. It also has a mixed-breed category.

Other events:

• Pie and baked goods judging: double-crusted pies, breads, cakes, and preserves displayed with ribbons in Agricultural Hall
• Clam and oyster shucking contest: Saturday afternoon
• Antique tractor pull: Saturday morning, with tractors dating to the 1930s–40s
• Rubber Chicken Toss: Thursday at 7 PM, a crowd-pleaser added in 2025 (pre-register on Fair Entry if you'd like to throw)
• Carnival rides from Fiesta Shows, including Ferris wheel, carousel, and dozens of thrill rides (separate from admission: for 2026 an unlimited-ride day megapass is $70, valid 11 AM to close, and a $50 Friday-night wristband covers 5–10 PM; single-ride credits are sold at kiosks on the midway)
• Live music all four days: local bands fill the Music Tent from morning to night, capped by the traditional Saturday-night headline set from Johnny Hoy and the Bluefish at 8:30 PM
• Corn husking (Friday), tug-of-war and a mini-excavator competition (Saturday evening), chopstick knitting, and a cornhole showdown on Sunday

Day by day in 2026

Each day has its own theme, so it helps to pick by what you most want to see:

If you only have one day, Saturday has the widest spread. A second day works best as Sunday afternoon, for the skillet toss and the closing parade.

Admission, parking and membership

The only way to attend all four days without paying daily admission is through an MVAS membership, which grants free entry for the entire fair if purchased before August 1. Memberships are not sold between August 1 and October 1.

Two house rules: no dogs (the only dogs admitted are Sunday's registered show entrants), and no alcohol.

Food at the fair

The best-known booth is the West Tisbury Firefighters' Burger Booth, which has raised over $357,000 for scholarships over a decade, so a burger there goes to a good cause. Other local staples include "Floaters" (root beer floats), Paul Moreau's Strawberry Shortcake, Cozy's Last Stand (sausages and pickles on a stick), and Goldie's rotisserie chicken. Carnival concessions fill in with fried dough, funnel cakes, cotton candy, and corn dogs.

Getting there

From Vineyard Haven ferry terminal: approximately 7 miles, 13 minutes by car via State Road. From Oak Bluffs: roughly 9–10 miles, 16–18 minutes. From Edgartown: about 8–9 miles.

VTA buses serve the area. Route #3 (Vineyard Haven–West Tisbury via State Road) takes roughly 30 minutes to West Tisbury Town Hall, about a mile from the fairgrounds. During the 2026 fair the VTA also ran a direct Ag Fair bus every hour, from about 10 AM to 10 PM, from the Vineyard Haven ferry terminal and from Church Street in Edgartown. The VTA is fare-free through June 30, 2027. Most buses carry two or three bikes on a front rack; when it is full, the bike waits for the next bus.

Biking from Vineyard Haven means about 7 miles on State Road with traffic and hills, so it suits experienced cyclists. For an easier, mostly car-free ride, the paved bike paths through the Correllus State Forest come out in West Tisbury; the last stretch to the fairgrounds is on regular roads.

Timing: Thursday is the quietest day and Saturday the busiest. Opening time (10 AM) is the calmest. Sunday closes early (6 PM) and is busiest around the skillet toss at 3 PM.

The fairgrounds and Agricultural Hall

The centerpiece is Agricultural Hall, the big post-and-beam barn raised in November 1994. It has vaulted ceilings, a large open main hall (1,344 standing or 960 seated) and a Front Hall with a stone hearth. During the fair, the hall displays competition entries: produce, flowers, baked goods, quilts hung from the rafters, art, and photography.

Around the hall are two animal barns, an outdoor Show Ring, a Pulling Ring, a Fiber Tent for spinning and weaving, a Music Tent, the carnival midway, rows of food vendors and an Antique Power Museum.

The original Agricultural Hall, now called the Grange Hall, still stands at 1067 State Road. Built in 1859 in vernacular Gothic Revival style, it is managed by the Vineyard Preservation Trust and hosts more than 180 events a year.

Weather and what to wear

August on the Vineyard means highs of 78–82°F with moderate humidity and the odd afternoon thunderstorm. Light, breathable clothes work best, with comfortable closed-toe shoes (the fairgrounds are grassy and dusty), a hat and sunscreen. A light layer helps in the evening, when the island breeze cools things down after sunset. The fairground borders woods, so tick precautions are worth taking too.

We walked the grounds ourselves this year. Browse our photo gallery from the 2026 fair for the Hall exhibits, the blue ribbons, and the midway after dark.

Nearby

The fairgrounds are in up-island West Tisbury, close to:

• West Tisbury village center (Alley's General Store, Field Gallery): ~1 mile northwest, a 15-minute walk
• Lambert's Cove Beach: ~3.5–4.5 miles north (requires parking pass during peak season)
• Cedar Tree Neck Sanctuary: ~4–5 miles west, about 400-acre preserve with forest trails and Vineyard Sound bluffs (free)
• Long Point Wildlife Refuge: ~8–10 miles south, 632-acre preserve with swimmable beach

At $15 admission on an island where a lobster roll costs $35, the fair is one of the better deals of the summer. The 2026 move to August 13–16 is the biggest change to its schedule in decades, worth knowing if you are used to the third weekend.

Official website: marthasvineyardagriculturalsociety.org

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Frequently Asked Questions

When is the Agricultural Fair?

The 164th fair ran August 13 to 16, 2026, at 35 Panhandle Road in West Tisbury. From 2026 it moved from the third weekend of August to the second full weekend, because of a new carnival provider’s schedule. The 165th is set for August 12 to 15, 2027, on the Agricultural Society’s own calendar.

How much does it cost?

In 2026, $15 for adults and $10 for children, seniors and veterans, with $10 parking.

How old is the fair?

It dates to October 1858, when about 1,800 people came to the first Agricultural Fair and Cattle Show in tents in West Tisbury. It has been suspended only during the Second World War and, virtually, in 2020.

What is the Agricultural Hall?

A century-old post-and-beam barn dismantled in New Hampshire in the spring of 1994, ferried to the island in numbered pieces and raised by hundreds of islanders in three days that November. The BarnRaisers Ball every November still celebrates it.

How big is it?

Four days, a 20-acre fairground and more than 30,000 visitors, on an island of about 20,000 year-round residents: livestock competitions, skillet throwing, carnival rides and the island’s biggest social weekend of the summer.