If you’re not quite ready to let summer go yet, there’s still time to squeeze in one more big festival before September arrives. Taber Cornfest is taking over Taber this weekend, with three days of midway rides, fireworks, a drone show, competitions, a parade, and, of course, plenty of Taber corn.
According to organizers, the annual festival is the largest free family festival in western Canada, and this year’s lineup offers plenty of reasons to head south.
Here’s what you need to know before heading to Taber Cornfest.
What to expect at Taber Cornfest
What is Taber Cornfest?
Taber Cornfest is an annual summer festival celebrating Taber’s connection to agriculture and, most importantly, the sweet corn the southern Alberta town is known for. The festival has been a major part of the town’s summer calendar for decades, and has grown into a huge community celebration that attracts visitors from all across the region.
The Taber and District Chamber of Commerce describes it as Western Canada’s largest free family festival. While corn is at the heart of the celebration, the festival also offers plenty of other traditions that keep people coming back each year, including a classic and character car show, a chilli cook-off, and the annual fun run.
What can I do at Cornfest on Thursday?
The festival kicks off on Thursday, Aug. 27 with the Cornfest Parade at 4 p.m., travelling along 50th Avenue from 47th Street to 57th Street. After the parade wraps up, the midway will open at 5 p..m., with rides, games, and fair food running until 11 p.m.
What happens on Friday?
Friday starts with the Western Tractor Pancake Breakfast, which will take place off the festival grounds just off Highway 3. Then, at 11 a.m., the midway will open at Confederation Park and run until 11 p.m., with games, rides, and food vendors set up throughout the space. Alongside the midway, you’ll also be able to find go-karts, hay rides, a petting zoo, a bouncy castle and obstacle course, and a laser tag around the park.
If you need a break from the rides and activities, a beer garden will be open from 4 p.m. to midnight on Friday. Live music will also play throughout the day, featuring artists like Kate Reid, Texas Flood, Irvine Miller, and Blue Tuesday, followed by Doc Walker as the evening headliner.
And later that night, a drone show will take place over the festival grounds, with illuminated drones taking to the sky.
What happens on Saturday?
Saturday is the busiest day of Cornfest, so there’s even more happening on the festival grounds from morning to night. The day starts off with another pancake breakfast, but this time it will be hosted directly on the grounds at Confederation Park. After breakfast, you can head over to the Cornfest Fun Run at the Taber Aquafun Centre, with the 3K starting at 8:30 a.m., the 10K at 8:45 a.m. and the 5K at 9 a.m. If you decide to take part, you’ll also get a free swim at the Aquafun Centre until 11 a.m. by showing your race number.
The midway will open once again at 11 a.m., but this time Saturday’s lineup has some of the festival’s more unusual competitions, including a corn-eating contest and a corn-stuffing competition. In the corn-eating competition, contestants race to finish their corn, while the corn-stuffing competition is a team challenge where one person lies inside a sack and their teammate tries to stuff as much corn into it as possible.
Saturday will also have the Show and Shine, where classic and character cars will be on display for visitors to walk around and check out. Then once the sun goes down at 9:40 p.m., a fireworks show will light up the sky to close out the night.
Do I need to register for the events ahead of time?
If you’re looking to take part in the Cornfest Fun Run, you’ll need to register. You can register online through Race Roster, and you can also register on the morning of the race.
For the rest of Cornfest, you don’t need to register ahead of time just to attend or take part in the general festivities. The main festival is free to attend, while individual attractions such as midway rides and games cost extra. For unlimited rides, you can also buy an advance pass for $45 or pay $55 on-site. If you’re not sure about how many attractions you want to take part in, you can also buy credits for $1 each, with individual rides costing between four and 10 credits.
Where is Taber Cornfest?
The main festival will take place at Confederation Park at 50th Avenue and 50th Street in Taber. If you’re coming from Calgary, Taber is located about 270 kilometres southeast of the city, or roughly a three-hour drive. It sits along Highway 3, about 50 kilometres east of Lethbridge and roughly an hour north of the U.S. border.
A few events will happen outside the festival grounds, such as Friday’s pancake breakfast, hosted at the Western Tractor, and the Cornfest Fun Run, which will start at the Taber Aquafun Centre.
When is Taber Cornfest?
Cornfest runs from Thursday, Aug. 27 until Saturday, Aug. 29. The festival will kick off on Thursday with the Parade, followed by the midway from 5 to 11 p.m. On Friday, the pancake breakfast runs from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., while the midway is open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday starts with another pancake breakfast from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., followed by the Fun Run starting at 8:30 p.m., and the midway will reopen from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. The weekend will wrap up with the fireworks show on Saturday night at approximately 9:40 p.m.
Is there parking at Cornfest?
If you’re driving to Cornfest, organizers recommend parking in downtown Taber and walking to Confederation Park. The Taber and District Chamber of Commerce recommends using downtown parking because the Community Centre parking lot will have less space available this year due to the expanded midway. If you’re staying near the festival, walking is the best option.
For Thursday’s parade, 50th Avenue will close from 47th Street to 57th Street at 2 p.m., so you’ll need to ensure that your vehicle isn’t left along the parade route. Vehicles parked there may be towed.
The Cornfest Fun Run will also have runners on the roads from about 8:30 a.m. until noon, and although those routes won’t be fully closed to traffic, drivers are asked to watch for runners and follow directions from event volunteers.
When: Thursday, Aug. 27 to Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026
Time: Thursday: Parade at 4 p.m, midway from 5 to 11 p.m, Beer Gardens from 5 p.m. to midnight; Friday: Pancake Breakfast from 8 to 10 a.m.; midway from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m; Saturday: Pancake Breakfast from 8 to 10 a.m., Fun Run begins at 8:30, midway opens from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Where: Confederation Park – 50th Street and 50th Avenue, Taber, Alta.
Cost: Free admission; midway rides and certain activities cost extra
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Kaiya Williams
Kaiya is a Calgary-based writer and content creator with a background in marketing and digital storytelling. She has a passion for community-driven stories and covering local experiences that connect people.
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