Homegrown Hillsborough County Fair To Run Nov. 3-13

DOVER, FL — Featuring 11 days of entertainment, midway rides, youth competitions and fair food, the 2022 Greater Hillsborough County Fair is scheduled for Nov. 3-13 at the Hillsborough County Fairgrounds, 215 Sydney Washer Road in Dover.

This year's theme is "Homegrown Fun."

It will include carnival rides and games from Dreamland Amusements of Lake Tahoe, Nevada, and everyone's favorite fair foods including funnel cakes, corndogs, cotton candy, barbecue and ice cream.

One of the highlights of each year’s fair is the youth livestock shows and sales which will be held Nov. 3-13 in the fairgrounds' new 18,000-square-foot Livestock Exhibition Building. The livestock committees will host a variety of youth livestock shows including market shows for steer, swine, lamb, goat and turkey and breeding shows for beef, dairy, sheep, goat, rabbit and poultry.

For information, email Livestock Director Serena Stratton at rena70@aol.com or the Fair Manager Suzanne Holcomb at suzane@hillsboroughcountyfair.com.

The annual fair would not be complete without action-packed special arena events including a two-night rodeo on Nov. 4 and 5 produced by 5S Bucking Bulls with barrel racing bronc riding and bull riding.

A dirt-flying truck and tractor pull will take place two nights, Nov. 11 and 12, and will feature antique tractors, hotrods and "big boy" trucks and tractors

On the last day of the fair, Sunday, Nov. 13, the arena events will conclude with a demolition derby in which drivers compete for bragging rights to be the last car standing.

The family living exhibition hall will be full of arts, crafts, educational exhibits and activities.

Free daily entertainment will include the educational Firefighter Show, Disc Connected K-9s, America Show Camels, Scott's Magic Show and Fritzy One-Man Circus with appearances by Farmer Sydney.

Stroll through the historical Hometown Hillsborough area and participate in a Cowboy Camp by Les McDowell. Hillsborough County School District will offer school exhibit displays in the “Little Red Schoolhouse”

Entertainment on the general stage will include:

• Gospel Jam Friday, Nov. 11, from 7 to 11 p.m.
• Harvest Idol Saturday, Nov 12, at 7 p.m.
• Youth speech contest Thursday, Nov. 3, at 7 p.m.
• Pie-eating contest Saturday, Nov. 5, at 12:30 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 13, at 4:30 p.m.
• Pumpking-carving contest Friday, Nov. 4, at 8:45 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 12, at 2:15 p.m.
• Front Porch Jam with pickin' and grinnin', cowboy poetry and storytelling with Les McDowell Friday and Saturday, Nov. 4-5 at 5:30 p.m.
• Mullet Pageant Sunday, Nov. 6., at 5:30 p.m.
• Children's pageant Saturday, Nov. 5, at 2 p.m.
• Baby pageant for babies from newborn to 4 years old on Sunday, Nov. 13, at 1:30 p.m.
• Sixth annual Great Plant Auction Sunday, Nov. 13, at 1 p.m.

For applications to enter these contests, click here.

The fair will be open from 5 to 10 p.m. Nov. 3-4 and 7-10, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Nov. 6 and 13, 1 to 10 p.m. Nov. 11, and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Nov. 5 and Nov. 12.

Tickets can be purchased online here or at the gate.