Granite State Fair 2026: The Fair Most People Still Call the Rochester Fair
If you grew up anywhere near the New Hampshire Seacoast, you call it the Rochester Fair. The Granite State Fair is the same fair on the same grounds under a newer name — and searching for the old one is still how most people find it.
In 2026 it runs across two separate September weekends, which is the single most important thing to know before you drive up.
The dates, and the gap in the middle
- Weekend 1: Thursday, September 17 – Sunday, September 20
- Closed: Monday, September 21 – Wednesday, September 23
- Weekend 2: Thursday, September 24 – Sunday, September 27
The fair is not open on the weekdays between the two weekends. This trips people up every year — a listing that says "September 17–27" reads like an eleven-day continuous run, and it isn't.
Our dates come from the fair's own 2026 entry system rather than a carried-forward schedule from a previous year.
Where it is
Rochester Fairgrounds, 72 Lafayette Street, Rochester, New Hampshire 03867.
What's on
From the fair's own description:
- Livestock shows
- Midway rides
- Demolition derby
- Motorsports
- Grandstand entertainment
- Fair food
The demolition derby and the motorsports programming are a bigger part of the identity here than at most New England agricultural fairs — this is a grandstand fair as much as a livestock one.
About those hours
The Granite State Fair has not published its 2026 daily opening hours, and we have deliberately left them blank rather than infer them. The organizer's hours page was still showing a prior year at the time of writing.
Check granitestatefair.com close to your visit. The same goes for admission pricing, which is not in our listing either.
This is worth saying plainly because a lot of fair listings online will happily quote you last year's gate times as though they were this year's.
Rochester Fair or Granite State Fair?
Both. The fair was renamed, the name people search for did not change with it, and there is no second fair at the Rochester Fairgrounds that you might be confusing it with. If you found this looking for "Rochester Fair 2026," you're in the right place.
What else is on that fortnight
Mid-to-late September is when the New England season is at its fullest:
- Tunbridge World's Fair — September 17–20 in Vermont, exactly overlapping weekend one.
- The Big E — opens September 18 in West Springfield, MA.
- Deerfield Fair — October 1–4, the week after Granite State closes, and the other major New Hampshire fair of the season.
- Berlin Fair — September 17–20 in Connecticut.
Q: When is the Granite State Fair in 2026?
The Granite State Fair runs two weekends in September 2026: Thursday September 17 through Sunday September 20, and Thursday September 24 through Sunday September 27. It is closed Monday September 21 through Wednesday September 23.
Q: Is the Granite State Fair the same as the Rochester Fair?
Yes. The Granite State Fair was formerly known as the Rochester Fair. It is held at the Rochester Fairgrounds in Rochester, New Hampshire.
Q: What are the Granite State Fair's opening hours?
The fair has not published its 2026 daily hours. Check granitestatefair.com close to your visit rather than relying on a previous year's times.
Q: What is there to do at the Granite State Fair?
Livestock shows, midway rides, a demolition derby, motorsports, grandstand entertainment and fair food. The grandstand and motorsports programming is a larger part of this fair than at many New England agricultural fairs.
Related Reading
- Your Guide to New Hampshire Fairs & Festivals in 2026
- Deerfield Fair 2026: A Visitor's Guide
- The Sandwich Fair: Why This No-Frills NH Fair Is a Local Favorite
- New England Fair Season 2026
Last updated: September 2026
