The 2026 Cheshire Fair opens Thursday in Swanzey with free admission for children 11 and under, carnival rides, livestock shows, family activities and a BMX grandstand show. Carnival rides, livestock shows, live entertainment and family activities return as the 2026 Cheshire Fair opens Thursday at the Cheshire Fairgrounds in Swanzey. SWANZEY, N.H. — One of the Monadnock Region’s biggest summer traditions returns Thursday as the 2026 Cheshire Fair opens for four days of agricultural exhibits, carnival rides, live entertainment and family activities at the Cheshire Fairgrounds on Route 12 in Swanzey. Visitors can watch 4-H livestock shows, wood carving demonstrations, a robotics demonstration and the Reptiles of New England exhibit. The Cheshire Fair runs through Sunday, Aug. 2.