Fair Season Is Here: The Bandera County Fair Rolls Into Mansfield Park

By Gordon Cook · August 23, 2026 · ← All posts

You can feel it starting to turn out here. The mornings have a little bite to them before the sun climbs up over the hills, the cedar's not near as miserable to clear, and Jennifer's already asking me if I've got the string lights down from the barn. Fall's coming to the Hill Country, and around Bandera that means one thing above all else — fair season.

The Bandera County Fair Comes to Mansfield Park

Mark it down: the Bandera County Fair rolls into Mansfield Park October 8–10, 2026, and it's about as good a reason as any to plan a fall weekend out here. This one's been a Cowboy Capital tradition for generations, and it hasn't lost a lick of its charm — livestock shows, FFA and 4-H kids showing off a year's worth of hard work, carnival rides lighting up after dark, arts and crafts vendors, live music, and enough fair food to make you forget you ever had a New Year's resolution.

If you've never been to a real county fair — not the state fair, not some big commercial midway, but a genuine community fair where the kid showing his steer in the ring is somebody's grandson — this is the one to see. It's small enough to feel like family and big enough to keep the whole crew entertained for an afternoon or a whole weekend.

Why We Love Fair Weekend

Selfishly, this is one of my favorite stretches of the year at the campground. The weather finally breaks, the bugs settle down, and folks start showing up with a different kind of energy — ready to be outside, ready to slow down. We'll have guests heading into town for the fair by day and back out here for a campfire and dark skies by night, which if you ask me is exactly how a Hill Country weekend ought to go.

And Bandera being Bandera, the fair's rarely the only thing going on. Check the Bandera County CVB events calendar before you come — there's usually a little something extra brewing downtown or out at the honky-tonks that same weekend.

Stay Out Here, Fair by Day

We're a short, easy drive from Mansfield Park — close enough that you're not losing your evening to a long haul back, far enough that you'll actually sleep under real dark skies. Here's what we've got waiting for you:

• 13 handcrafted log cabins, each one built by hand right here on the property
• 10 full-hookup RV sites for folks rolling in with their own rig
• 9 cowboy campsites if you'd rather pitch a tent under the stars

Bring the whole family, and bring the dog — we don't charge pet fees, and we don't tack on cleaning fees either. What you see is what you pay. Book direct and use promo code FUN for 10% off stays of two nights or more, which a fair weekend absolutely qualifies for.

Fair weekends fill up fast around here, so if you're thinking about it, don't wait too long to grab your spot. Book your stay at Al's Hideaway or give us a call at 830-510-3331.

Happy Trails.
Be Safe & God Bless.

— Al