On Monday, November 9, a ride armband at the National Peanut Festival costs $30. On Saturday, November 14, the same armband for the same midway costs $55. Gate admission is $11 on both days, the same as last year. The 2026 price increases are on the rides, and they fall unevenly across the 10 days.
The 82nd festival, with the theme "Ease On Down the Row," opens tomorrow, Friday, November 6, at the fairgrounds at 5622 U.S. Highway 231 South and runs through Sunday, November 15. If you go every year, which day you go now changes the bill more than it used to. One of the festival's oldest traditions has also moved onto the most expensive day.
Ten Days, Four Armband Prices
The festival's official 2026 calendar sets a different price and program for each day. Here is the full run, with the groups admitted free or at a discount:
| Day | Gates open | Gate | Ride armband | Free or discounted admission | Headliner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri., Nov. 6 | 4 PM | $11 | $40 | None listed | Ribbon cutting at 6 PM, Darrell Qualls Band |
| Sat., Nov. 7 | 10 AM | $11 | $45 | None listed | Car show, Equestrian Chaos |
| Sun., Nov. 8 | 1 PM | $9 | $40 | None listed | Corey Kent, 7 PM |
| Mon., Nov. 9 | 4:30 PM | $11 | $30 | Preregistered farmers and immediate family free; ALFA members $5 | Calf Scramble and Greased Pig Scramble |
| Tue., Nov. 10 | 4:30 PM | $11 | $30 | Teachers free with school ID; ALFA members $5 | Lauren Alaina, 7 PM |
| Wed., Nov. 11 | 2 PM | $11 | $40 | Military, veterans and immediate family free with ID; first 10,000 with All In Credit Union complimentary ticket | Dennis Lee, 7 to 9 PM |
| Thu., Nov. 12 | 4:30 PM | $11 | $30 | First responders free with ID | Tyler Hubbard, 7 PM |
| Fri., Nov. 13 | 2 PM | $11 | $40 | Senior Citizens Day, 10 AM to 2 PM | Figure 8 Race, Will Moseley |
| Sat., Nov. 14 | 10 AM | $11 | $55 | None listed | Parade, Demo Derby |
| Sun., Nov. 15 | 1 PM | $33 gate and armband combined | Included | None listed | Rides only, until 6 PM |
In 2025, armbands cost $28 Monday through Wednesday, $33 on Thursday, $38 on both Fridays and the first Sunday, $44 on the first Saturday and $48 on the final Saturday. This year, Monday and Tuesday went up $2, Thursday came down $3 and Wednesday went from $28 to $40. The Fridays and the first Sunday each went up $2, and the last Saturday went up $7. The gap between the cheapest and most expensive armband grew from $20 to $25. The final Sunday's $33 combined gate and armband price is unchanged from 2025.
For a family that comes for the rides, Monday, Tuesday and Thursday cost the least. Those three nights also hold all of the discounted-admission days except Veterans Day and Senior Citizens Day, plus two of the three amphitheater concerts.
Today Is the Last Day for the Mega Pass
The math changes if you buy ahead, and the window closes today, Thursday, November 5. The festival's ticket information page lists today as the last day to buy a Mega Pass, which covers one gate admission and one unlimited-ride armband on any single festival day. It costs $38. Advance one-day admission is $9, against $11 at the gate.
The Mega Pass costs the same whichever day you use it, so it saves the most on the most expensive day:
- Saturday, November 14: $11 gate plus $55 armband is $66 at the gate, or $38 with a Mega Pass, a $28 savings.
- Saturday, November 7: $56 at the gate, so $18 saved.
- Friday, Sunday or Wednesday: $51 at the gate, or $49 on Sunday with the $9 gate, so $11 to $13 saved.
- Monday, Tuesday or Thursday: $41 at the gate, so $3 saved.
Advance tickets and Mega Passes are sold online, at the fairgrounds ticket office, which has been open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. since October 26, and at Eagle Eye Outfitters at 3535 Ross Clark Circle. Eagle Eye notes that its advance sales end the day before the festival opens, which is today.
New this year, VIP Package holders can buy one-day ride armbands at $29 each, plus concert admission and reserved seats, as add-ons. In past years those weren't sold to package holders.
The Parade Moved Onto the $55 Saturday
The 2025 parade wasn't part of the festival's ten days. The official 2025 calendar put it on Saturday, October 25, from 3:30 to 5:30 PM, six days before the gates opened.
In 2026, the parade rules page sets it for Saturday, November 14, at 9:30 A.M. That's the last full day of the festival. The fairground gates open at 10 AM that day and stay open until 11 PM, with rides running until midnight. Demo Derby shows are at 2 PM and 7 PM in BankPlus Arena, with general seating free with admission and reserved seats at $20. A household can watch the parade downtown in the morning, drive out U.S. 231 for the afternoon derby and stay for the midway at night. That is the busiest single day on the 2026 schedule, and it's also the day with the $55 armband. That's why the Mega Pass deadline matters most for anyone planning to spend parade Saturday at the fairgrounds.
The route is the same as before. It starts on East Main Street, runs down Main Street and ends at the corner of West Main and Park, and units break up between First Methodist Church and Kirkland's. Roads stay closed from Park and Main down to Park and Woodland while the parade disperses.
Two rule changes will show up along the curb. Walking units no longer have an age limit, though everyone in them must be able to walk the whole route without carts, buggies or strollers. The City of Dothan is allowing throws this year as long as each unit has two walkers on each side. Floats are judged partly on their use of peanuts or peanut products, which counts for 30% of the score. The Carver Award for the best use of peanuts pays $2,000.
The Sky Lift Isn't Covered by Any Armband
This year's new ride is the Sky Lift, an aerial chairlift that WDHN reported was built in partnership with Reithoffer Shows, the festival's ride provider. A ski lift engineer and City of Dothan engineering and planning staff also worked on it. Rickey Stokes News reported that it has 73 chairs and runs from near the large Ferris wheel down the side of the fairgrounds.
The Sky Lift costs extra on every day. According to the same Rickey Stokes News report, a ride costs $6 one way or $9 round trip and isn't included in the Mega Pass or the regular unlimited-ride armbands. Small children must ride with a supervising adult. Wiregrass Daily News also reported that the Mega Pass doesn't cover it. For a family of four, round trips add $36 to the night, more than a Monday armband.
The Cheap Weeknights Are Also the Farm Nights
The weeknights cost less, and they also hold most of the festival's farm events. Monday is Farmers Day and ALFA Members Day. The livestock schedule runs all week:
- Saturday, November 7: Junior Heifer and Feeder Steer Show at 9 AM, Junior Breeding Ewe Show at noon.
- Sunday, November 8: Open Beef Cattle Show at 1:00.
- Monday, November 9: Open Dairy Goat Show at 9 AM, then the Calf Scramble and Greased Pig Scramble at 7 PM in BankPlus Arena, sponsored by First South Farm Credit.
- Tuesday, November 10: Market Hog Showmanship at 4 PM, with the Prospect Hog Show right after.
- Wednesday, November 11: Hog shows at 10 AM and 6 PM, with gilts after.
- Friday, November 13: Poultry and Rabbit Shows at 6 PM.
On Monday, preregistered farmers and their immediate families get in free, ALFA members pay $5 at the gate with a valid card, and armbands are $30. Mae Estes plays the Food Court Stage from 8 to 10 PM. For a farm family with kids who want to ride, Monday is the cheapest night of the festival.
Wednesday works differently. Admission is free for military, veterans and immediate family with ID, and $3 from each armband sold that day goes to Wiregrass Food Bank. Friday's Senior Citizens Day runs from 10 AM to 2 PM, before general gates open at 2 PM. The festival calls that evening "Friday Funday" and recommends it for families with small children. The Figure 8 Race is that night in BankPlus Arena, free with festival admission, with reserved seats at $20.
The three amphitheater concerts are priced differently too. Corey Kent on Sunday is free with paid fair admission. Lauren Alaina on Tuesday is $10 for concert admission, and Tyler Hubbard on Thursday is $20, both on top of the gate. That makes Tuesday the cheapest night for a teacher. Gate admission is free with a school ID, the concert is $10 and the armband is the weeknight $30.
Before You Pull Into the Lot
The rules at the gate are the same whichever day you choose. According to the festival's safety and security page, bags are limited to clear bags no larger than 12" x 6" x 12", one-gallon clear freezer bags, or small non-clear bags up to 4.5" x 6.5". Exceptions are allowed for family-care and medical needs. The festival may refuse entry to unaccompanied minors at any time. Parking is free in the Xfinity North and Texas Roadhouse South lots, and drop-offs go to Texas Roadhouse South.
The last day, Sunday, November 15, is the most limited. Only midway rides, Kiddieland and midway concessions are open, from 1 to 6 PM, and the combined gate and armband price is $33. The festival says schedules and prices can change, so check the official calendar on the morning you go.
Monday's Farmers Day is Michael Dorriety's kind of night. He runs a working cattle and poultry farm outside Hartford. If walking the beef cattle and poultry barns this year has you thinking about pasture, a few acres for a show calf or a place to keep birds, Michael Dorriety can tell you what land around the Wiregrass is actually suited for. Schedule a free consultation, or get an instant valuation if the farm question is about land you already own.
