The Utah State Fair is Utah's state fair: eleven days each September at the Utah State Fairpark in Salt Lake City, with livestock barns, exhibits, a carnival midway, food, and entertainment on stages across the grounds. Fair guides counted 2026 as its 170th year, dating it to 1856. For a Utah Valley family, the trip comes down to three decisions: which day to go, how to get there, and what it will cost. This guide takes them in that order, with the arithmetic done.
The dates
The fair starts on the Thursday after Labor Day and runs eleven days. In 2026 that was Thursday, September 10, through Sunday, September 20.
The tickets
The 2026 gate prices, with no fees added:
- Adults, 13 to 61: $15.75
- Seniors, 62 and older: $10.75
- Youth, 6 to 12: $10.75
- Children, 5 and under: free
- Season pass: $60
- All-you-can-ride carnival pass: $42, good on the day it is redeemed
The discount days
The fair's discount days are the biggest lever a family has. In 2026 they fell in the middle week:
- Monday, September 14, Family Day: youth 12 and under free, adults $10, and all-you-can-ride passes $32
- Tuesday, September 15, 2 for Tuesday: buy two adult admissions and get a third free, $2 rides on select rides from noon to 4 p.m., and $2 off parking with a same-day admission
- Wednesday, September 16, Senior Day: free admission for 62 and older
- Thursday, September 17, Thrifty Thursday: adults $10, youth and seniors $6, and $10 off all-you-can-ride passes
The kid math
Take a Utah Valley family of five: two parents, two children aged 6 to 12 and a preschooler. At 2026 gate prices, admission alone works out like this:
- A regular day: two adults at $15.75 and two children at $10.75 comes to $53; the preschooler is free
- Thrifty Thursday: two adults at $10 and two children at $6 comes to $32
- Family Day: two adults at $10, with the children free, comes to $20
Family Day cuts the gate bill by more than 60 percent, and it takes $10 off each all-you-can-ride pass as well. Two ride passes cost $84 on a regular day and $64 on Family Day or Thrifty Thursday. Add parking, from $10 to $20, or train fares, and food.
For a grandparent coming along, Senior Day on Wednesday is free admission for anyone 62 and older.
Getting there from Utah County
By car. OpenStreetMap routing puts the Utah State Fairpark, at 155 North 1000 West, about 47 miles and 55 minutes from downtown Provo without traffic. In 2026 parking cost $20 in Lot C, the southeast lot entered from 1000 West; $15 at the White Ball Park lot on North Temple; and $10 at a remote lot at the Utah State Tax Commission, 210 North 1950 West.
By train. The fair is one of the easier Salt Lake events to reach by rail. Take FrontRunner north to North Temple station, where it connects to TRAX, and ride the Green Line toward the airport two stops west to Fairpark station, at 1150 West North Temple, beside the fairgrounds. It saves the parking fee and the drive home through Salt Lake traffic. FrontRunner does not run on Sundays, and evening service has a last train, so check the final southbound departure before staying for a night show. For how the train works from Utah Valley, see FrontRunner From Provo.
What is there
The fair is an agricultural fair at heart, with livestock barns, animal shows and competitive exhibits, surrounded by a carnival midway, food vendors and entertainment. Much of the entertainment on the grounds is included with gate admission, with a few larger concerts ticketed separately.
The Fairpark hosts more than the fair: the Days of '47 Rodeo in July and the Utah Asian Festival in June both use the same grounds.
Practical notes
- Pick the day first. Family Day and Thrifty Thursday change the whole budget.
- Take the train if you can. FrontRunner plus two stops on TRAX avoids parking entirely.
- Buy ride passes on a discount day. They are $10 cheaper on Family Day and Thrifty Thursday.
- Check the year's dates. The fair always starts the Thursday after Labor Day.
Related Guides
- The Utah County Fair
- The Days of '47
- The Utah Asian Festival
- The Salt Lake City Greek Festival
- The Living Traditions Festival
- Wasatch Front Annual Events From Provo
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Utah State Fair?
How much are Utah State Fair tickets?
Are there discount days at the Utah State Fair?
How much is parking at the Utah State Fair?
Can I take the train to the Utah State Fair from Provo?
What does a family of five pay to get in?
How far is the Utah State Fair from Provo?
What is Family Day at the Utah State Fair?
