Capital Fair

“August 15 – 24, 2025 – A Celebration of Community, Fun & Tradition!“

Get ready for ten days of non-stop excitement, family-friendly fun, and thrilling entertainment at the 2025 Capital Fair, happening from August 15th to 24th, 2025! Established in 1975, this high-energy event has been bringing communities together for 50 years, celebrating agriculture, entertainment, and classic fair traditions.

Whether you’re looking for thrilling rides, hands-on farm experiences, or top-notch entertainment, the Capital Fair has something for everyone to enjoy!

Midway & Classic Fair Fun

One of the biggest attractions at the Capital Fair is the Midway, featuring:

• Thrilling rides for all ages, from heart-pounding rollercoasters to classic Ferris wheels.
• Exciting carnival games, where you can test your luck and win fantastic prizes.
• Delicious fair treats, including cotton candy, funnel cakes, and classic fair food!

Motorsports Action – Demolition Derby

For those who love fast-paced, high-energy action, the Demolition Derby is a must-see event! Watch as fearless drivers crash, smash, and battle it out in a competition where only the toughest car survives!

Live Entertainment, Music & Spectacular Performances

Throughout the 10-day fair, enjoy an incredible lineup of Live Entertainment & Music, featuring:

• Local bands, solo performers, and exciting musical acts, playing a mix of country, rock, pop, and folk music.
• Special performances, comedy acts, and cultural showcases, ensuring fun for all ages!

Equestrian & Agricultural Highlights

The Capital Fair proudly celebrates its agricultural roots, bringing the best of farming and livestock exhibits to the city with:

• Live Horse Racing – Experience the thrill of live racing, as powerful horses compete on the track.
• Agriculture Tent – Learn about modern and traditional farming practices, explore interactive exhibits, and see farm animals up close.
• Petting Zoo & Pony Rides – A hit with families, allowing kids to meet friendly farm animals and enjoy a gentle pony ride.

Kids Big Tent – A World of Fun for Young Fairgoers

The Kids Big Tent is a special area designed just for children, featuring:

• Face painting, magic shows, storytelling, and interactive games.
• Educational exhibits, farm-themed activities, and hands-on fun.
• Kid-friendly entertainment, ensuring non-stop excitement!

Homecrafts, Dog Shows & More!

Step inside the Homecrafts Exhibit, where talented artisans display handmade quilts, delicious baked goods, preserves, and crafts.

Animal lovers will enjoy the Dog Shows, showcasing talented canines performing tricks, agility challenges, and obedience demonstrations.

A 10-Day Celebration of Fun & Tradition!

With its perfect mix of live entertainment, thrilling rides, motorsports action, and agricultural showcases, the 2025 Capital Fair is one of the biggest and best fairs of the year! Whether you come for the midway, horse racing, demolition derby, or homecrafts, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

Mark your calendars for August 15th to 24th, 2025, and experience 10 days of fun, excitement, and community spirit at the Capital Fair!

History of the Capital Fair

Everything Changes

At a special Fair Board meeting on Monday, April 14th, 2014 the Capital Fair officially replaced the Gloucester Fair in both name and dates. Since 1975, the 4-day fair had featured a popular Midway, extreme motorsport shows, horse shows, free live entertainment, an amazing kids area, great fair food vendors and diversions of all kinds.

In taking on a new 10 day format in August, the fair moved to introduce its expanded program to the region by implementing an introductory free gate admission program. The results were wildly successful as in 2017 the fair attracted over 255,000 guests.

The Kids BIG Tent was introduced along with the Agricultural Pavilion featuring farm displays, Doo Doo and his Dance Party, the Ultimutt Stunt Dog show, daily free LIVE entertainment, a Demolition Derby, a Petting Zoo, Pony Rides, the Birds of Prey show, the Community Stage, and more…

Partnering with Eastern Ontario’s largest midway, World’s Finest Shows brought all the fair favorites include the drop zone style ”Cannonball”, the ”Muzik Express”, the ”Pharaoh’s Fury” boat ride, the ”Scooter” bumper cars, the ”Fireball” and over 25 more.

2020 was to be a transformative year but an unprecedented pandemic gripped the world, forcing the Fair to postpone operations until 2021.

We remain optimistic about our pending breakout future and invite you to join us.

What makes the Capital Fair “SPECIAL”?

The Fair has been privileged to host over 1,500 physically and mentally delayed children and their families for a private party the day before it opens to the general public.

Volunteers help the children on and off the rides and help feed everyone a hot lunch. There is live entertainment and an ice cream dessert.

Our History

Back in 1975, to help promote the growing sense of community pride, the City of Gloucester, created the “Gloucester Festival of Friends”. The summer-time event became a volunteer driven program and then applied for and was granted Ontario Agricultural status by Minister of Agriculture, Dennis Timbrell on November 27, 1984, creating the Gloucester Fair.

The Fair drew great crowds to the original fairgrounds at the Earl Armstrong Arena but that success caused it to eventually outgrow the site. Searching for a larger space, the Fair was invited to the Rideau Carleton Entertainment Centre where it has flourished since 1998.

For 10 fabulous days in August, there’s a lot to see and do at the Capital Fair.

What a great way to celebrate the end of summer!