If you enjoy live rodeo action, live country music, family-friendly carnivals, and seeing exhibitions of photography, art, cooking, and baking by local residents, then certainly will not want to miss the 95th North Texas Fair & Rodeo, taking place August 18-26, 2023 at the North Texas Fairgrounds in Denton.
“There is something about the fair that it’s really unique compared to a lot of different events in this area and around the country,” says Hannah Crandall, marketing and media manager for the North Texas Fair & Rodeo. “There’s such a rich tradition here, but that’s also mixed with some of the best entertainment. There is just an atmosphere of family fun and excitement for nine days straight. We could not be more excited for the 95th year, so we hope that everybody else will be just as excited. We have lots of new things and of course the same traditions that we’ve always had. It will be a really great time.”
Not Their First Rodeo
One of the biggest attractions of the North Texas Fair & Rodeo is, of course, the live rodeos held each night of the fair.
Crandall says the first three nights of the fair feature the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Rodeo. “That rodeo has every event from bronc riding to bull riding to barrel racing (to) roping — all of it,” she says.
The next two nights of the fair, Crandall says, are 21 and Under Rodeo nights. “That really gives the local youth a chance to come out and get involved in that,” she continues. “We’ve seen a lot of people that are now rodeoing professionally start out in our 21 and under rodeo, so that’s really neat.”
On Monday, August 21st, the fair will hold its Invitational Ranch Rodeo, which Crandall says a lot of ranches in North Texas participate in and gives them an opportunity to show what they do every day with their daily work on the ranch.
And then the last three nights of the fair is reserved for the Bull Blowout. “We have strictly bull riding and bull fighting those three nights,” Crandall adds.
Nine Nights of Live Music
The North Texas Fair & Rodeo is also known for having live country music every night, including some up-and-coming and chart-topping artists.
“A lot of thought really goes into who we bring out here — we want to bring out some of the most popular and trending artists to be right here in Denton,” Crandall says. “There’s nowhere else that you get to see nine headlining artists of this caliber right here in our community, and so we really want to bring those top name artists every year.”
This year’s artists lined-up to perform on the Miller Lite Main Stage this year include Aaron Watson, Scotty McCreery, La Mafia, Tracy Lawrence, and Kody West.
And on the Cool Zone Revolver Stage, fairgoers will have the chance to hear Jorge Moreno, Miller Campbell, Cameron Hobbs, The Wilder Blue, just to name a few.
Carnival & Contests
In addition to the live music and rodeo, the fair also features a carnival and midway with a wide array of rides and games for all ages of fairgoers.
Attendees can shop ’til they drop at the commercial exhibits and find all their favorite fair foods from the fair’s food vendors.
The North Texas Fair & Rodeo also offers exhibitions of entries for their various contests, including photography, creative arts, youth art, cooking, and baking.
And the entire fair kicks-off with its annual parade through downtown Denton on Saturday, August 19th at 10:00 am.
Volunteer Opportunities
As the North Texas Fair & Rodeo is a nonprofit organization, Crandall says putting the annual event together would not be possible without the work of their volunteers.
“They really are at the heart of this organization — without them, none of it would be possible,” she adds.
Crandall says they are always looking for volunteers for various committees for the rodeo, entertainment, and contests, as well as office administration. “There’s just so much that goes into this behind the scenes that a lot of our fairgoers might not even think about or see, just because of how amazing our volunteers are,” she says.
For those interested in volunteering, Crandall urges them to fill out their online volunteer form.
Giving Back to Local Youth
And the North Texas Fair & Rodeo also gives back to the local community by granting four scholarships every year to local students.
“Scholarships are just one way that we give back and contribute to our mission, which is to support youth agriculture and community,” Crandall explains. “Each year we give out four scholarships to local youth who exemplify the qualities that we want to support. We want to support these kids that are involved in agriculture and want to preserve that lifestyle, just like we do.”
This year’s scholarship winners include:
- Bryce Borchardt from Krum, TX for the North Texas State Fair Association scholarship
- Graham Whitewood from Sanger, TX for the Bob C. Powers scholarship
- Katelyn Collins from Corinth, TX for the Robert Bell & Bobby Jones Memorial Trade or Vocational scholarship
- Rhiannon Klodowski from Pilot Point, TX for the Harry Hall & Bill Allen Continuing Education scholarship
The North Texas Fair & Rodeo will take place August 18-26, 2023 at the North Texas Fairgrounds in Denton. Click here for daily schedules. For more information, visit ntfair.com or follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
