PIKETON, Ohio — The Pike County Fair wraps up its 2026 run Saturday night with a Smash-It Demo Derby and an arm wrestling competition, closing out a day that begins with a junior fair livestock sale and ends with carnival rides open until 11 p.m.
The Pike County Fairgrounds said in a Facebook post that the first 300 children who arrive after 2 p.m. will ride for free, courtesy of a sponsorship from Kentucky Machinery. Carnival rides open at 2 p.m. alongside the free-ride promotion.
The day starts earlier at the A.E. Blaum Arena, where junior fair exhibitors will sell their rabbits and poultry at a 10 a.m. sale, part of the youth livestock programming that runs throughout the week-long fair.
At 7 p.m., fairgoers can choose between two grandstand-area attractions: the Smash-It Demo Derby at the Grandstands or the arm wrestling competition back in the A.E. Blaum Arena. Carnival rides remain open until 11 p.m. to close out the night.
The 2026 Pike County Fair opened July 24 and continues through Sunday at the fairgrounds on Mill Street in Piketon. The fair is organized each year by the Pike County Agricultural Society and its Fair Board and Junior Fair Board, and it traces its roots to 1851, making it one of the longer-running county fair traditions in the region. It features livestock exhibitions, carnival rides, live entertainment and vendors, relying heavily on local business sponsorships and volunteer support to put on the event.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the Pike County Fairgrounds.
