Two growers walking a ripe wheat field under a heavy storm sky that stretches across the open plains

farm equipment and field show · Mitchell

Dakotafest 2027Exhibitor guide: booth costs, dates and deadlines in Mitchell

Lots, plots and chute demos: Dakotafest 2027 booths and displays in Mitchell

Event dates
August 17–19, 2027
Exhibit hall
August 17–19, 2027
Venue
Dakotafest show grounds, Mitchell

4.9 client rating3,000+ exhibitorsIn business since 201510,000+ booths built

Kaizen Switchgear Products booth by Purple Exhibits: red and white Kaizen Switchgear Products booth, Purple work to compare for your Dakotafest booth
Built by PurpleKaizen Switchgear Products island
Han Song booth by Purple Exhibits: wide view of a red, white and grey Han Song island booth with a tall header fascia, a reference for planning a Dakotafest booth
Built by PurpleHan Song island
  • 26,000+farmers and livestock producers, per IDEAg source
  • 400+exhibitors on the Mitchell grounds source
  • 36,000farms within 200 miles, per IDEAg source
  • 8.4millionhogs within 200 miles, per IDEAg source

Quick answers

Dakotafest 2027 in 30 seconds

Dakotafest is an outdoor farm show held each August on a fenced show site at 2300 East Spruce Street in Mitchell, South Dakota, organized by IDEAg Group. Dakotafest 2027 runs August 17–19, 2027. IDEAg reports more than 400 exhibitors and an audience of over 26,000 farmers and livestock producers from the Dakotas, Minnesota and Nebraska. Exhibitors sell equipment, seed, livestock handling, buildings and farm services. Space is sold as ag tent booths, outdoor equipment lots from 25×50 to 50×100 feet and planted seed plots. A Livestock Tent with chute demonstrations sets it apart. Purple plans canopies, lot graphics and tent booths for it.

When is Dakotafest 2027?
August 17–19, 2027, at Dakotafest show grounds, Mitchell.
When is the Dakotafest exhibit hall open?
August 17–19, 2027.
How big is Dakotafest?
400+ exhibitors (2026 edition).
How much is a 10×20 booth at Dakotafest, all-in?
$7,500 – $15,000 for a Purple rental in Mitchell: design, graphics, lighting, install and dismantle. Space and show services are billed by Dakotafest.

Farm equipment · Mitchell · 2027

26,000+

farmers and livestock producers on IDEAg's Mitchell grounds source

The lookMitchell, S.D. 2027

Gravel streets, big sky. Three days of Dakota ground.

Dakotafest returns to its Mitchell show grounds August 17–19, 2027, with more than 400 exhibitors and an audience of over 26,000 farmers and livestock producers, per IDEAg.

Mixed beef herd grazing a green hillside pasture below a heavy grey sky
01Cow-calf country, summer grass
Aerial view of long corn rows running to the horizon under a wide sunset sky
02Corn rows to the horizon
Rancher in a denim jacket and hat watching over his herd as the sun sets across a valley
03Watching the herd settle
Drone view of a golden corn field in late summer with straight rows and a field road
04Gold rows from above
Storm clouds and rain sweeping over an open plain with round hay bales and a lone tree
05Storm over the bales
Black Angus cattle grazing together in a lush pasture edged by trees
06Angus on green grass
Aerial view of a cluster of grain bins and silos surrounded by patchwork crop fields
07Bins in the patchwork
Old two-tone pickup parked in a cut grain field with a far shelterbelt on the flat horizon
08Pickup in the stubble

Everything about Dakotafest 2027 in one place

Dakotafest 2027 fact sheet

Dakotafest 2027 key facts
Official nameDakotafest 2027
Event datesAugust 17–19, 2027
Exhibit hall datesAugust 17–19, 2027 source
VenueDakotafest show grounds
2300 East Spruce Street, Mitchell, SD 57301
OrganizerIDEAg Group, LLC
Size (2026)400+ exhibitors source
Who attendsRow crop farmers, cow-calf and feedlot operators, hog producers and their families from the Dakotas, Minnesota and Nebraska
Nearest airportSioux Falls Regional Airport (FSD)
About an hour east of Mitchell on I-90; the show site is at exit 332
HotelsMitchell hotels and campgrounds listed by the organizer; no camping on the show site
Official hotel page →
Official websitedakotafest.com

Official Dakotafest resources

Dakotafest 2027 calendar

Dakotafest 2027 show dates

Each 2027 Dakotafest show day, linked to the page that states it.

  1. Dakotafest 2027 opens on the Mitchell show grounds source
  2. Final day of Dakotafest 2027; 2027 hours not confirmed yet source

01 Purple at Dakotafest 2027

Lots, plots and chute demos: Dakotafest 2027 booths and displays in Mitchell

Dakotafest is an outdoor farm show on the east edge of Mitchell, where Northern Plains crop and cattle producers walk gravel streets of equipment lots, seed plots and ag tents for three August days. We plan lot displays and tent booths that hold up to wind, dust and sun.

  • Aug 17–19, 2027 · Mitchell
  • 400+ exhibitors
  • 26,000+ producers

What makes Dakotafest different, and how we build for it

Dakotafest is run by IDEAg on a fenced show site in Mitchell laid out like a small town, with numbered streets from 1st to 9th and Main Street through the middle.Equipment faces the street on outdoor lots, seed companies plant their own plots, and the Livestock Tent runs chute demonstrations twice a day. The Skid Steer Rodeo, the Reaves' Innovation Center, the Antique Tractor Museum, SDSU Extension and the Woman Farmer/Rancher of the Year Award keep producers on the grounds all day, and IDEAg counts more than 26,000 farmers and livestock producers in its audience.

Corn and soybean growers

Planters, tillage, spray and seed choices they can compare lot to lot, with plots that show how a hybrid stands in South Dakota soil.

Cow-calf and feedlot operators

Chutes, panels, feed mixers and buildings shown working, with a person who knows cattle handling and can quote delivery.

Farm families and next-generation operators

Shade, a place to sit, financing and succession answers, and a reason to stop that does not feel like a sales pitch.

Your team in Mitchell

How Purple runs Dakotafest 2027 on the Mitchell grounds

Canopies, counters and graphics are made at whichever Purple shop suits the schedule, Fishkill or Las Vegas, and trucked straight to the Spruce Street site once IDEAg opens move-in, since the show has no advance warehouse. Your Purple project manager books the forklift slot, stages the lot before the gates close and builds it with the labor and vendors IDEAg allows.

Inside Dakotafest 2027

26,000+ farmers and livestock producers, per IDEAg source400+ exhibitors on the Mitchell grounds source36,000 farms within 200 miles, per IDEAg source8.4 million hogs within 200 miles, per IDEAg source

Rules that shape your Dakotafest booth

8 feet at the back, 4 feet at the aisle

In the ag tents displays may reach 8 feet only in the back 5 feet of the booth, with a 4-foot limit forward to the aisle (2026 manual). We design tent graphics to that profile so nothing is moved on site.

Organizer rule

Drivers unload self-propelled machines

IDEAg forklifts will not drive onto trucks, lift people or unload self-propelled vehicles; the exhibitor or truck driver does that (2026). We schedule the driver and the 30-minute forklift slot together.

Organizer rule

Ask before you dig

Removing topsoil or digging below the surface needs a Request to Dig/Excavate form, due July 10 in 2026, and post holes must be refilled when the lot is cleared. We use weighted bases wherever a stake is not approved.

Organizer rule

Third-party vendors need notice

Any vendor other than IDEAg's official list must be named to show management with its work dates and proof of insurance, or it may be refused at the gate (2026). We file Purple's details with the forklift order.

Organizer rule

Livestock by approval only

Animals are not allowed inside the fenced grounds except service dogs and livestock pre-approved by show management for demonstrations; horses need a current Coggins certificate (2026).

Organizer rule

Programs worth planning for

Livestock Tent

Cattle chute demonstrations at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. each show day and livestock education sessions from 11:15 a.m. in 2026, with its own booth contract.

Official details

Skid Steer Rodeo

Producers race sponsors' skid loaders around a timed course daily at 11:30 a.m.; sign-up happens at the sponsoring companies' booths.

Official details

Woman Farmer/Rancher of the Year Award

IDEAg names five South Dakota finalists and honors the winner at a Women in Ag event during the show.

Official details

Used Equipment Showcase

New in 2026 in booth #736: dealers placed used balers, mixers, tillage tools and lifts side by side for producers to compare.

Official details

Dakotafest is IDEAg's August field show for South Dakota and its neighbors; choose it over Farmfest when your buyers farm west of the Minnesota line, and over Husker Harvest Days when cattle and hogs matter as much as row crops. Line up Dakotafest against every agriculture show we build for →

agriculture at Dakotafest

The industry behind Dakotafest, in pictures

Straight lines of young green corn plants seen from above in early summer
Young corn in lines
Aerial texture of a vast green cornfield with planter rows curving slightly
Planter rows, aerial
Open farm field under a blazing orange and violet sunset with a low tree line
Plains evening, wide open

02 Booths & pricing for Dakotafest 2027

Dakotafest 2027 exhibit space: lots, plots and tent booths priced

Dakotafest sells space in three ways, per IDEAg: 10×10 and larger booths in the ag tents, outdoor lots from 25×50 to 50×100, and seed plots about 60 feet wide. Equipment brands take lots, seed companies take plots, and service firms take tent booths. We plan from a 10×20 tent space or a 25×50 lot up.

Sedemac booth by Purple Exhibits: white inline booth for Sedemac innovative controls, like the booths we plan for Dakotafest
Inline10×20$7,500 – $15,000all-in rental

Product demos, two-person teams

Shown: Sedemac, a Purple inline booth

See 10×20 rental booths →
Louis Tenders booth by Purple Exhibits: wide angle of a long inline booth for Louis Tenders, Purple work to compare for your Dakotafest booth
Inline10×30$12,000 – $22,000all-in rental

Multiple product lines, a small meeting nook

Shown: Louis Tenders, a Purple inline booth

See 10×30 rental booths →
FGX booth by Purple Exhibits: taupe and white island eyewear booth with a large canopy header, shown for Dakotafest exhibitors
Island20×20$16,000 – $40,000all-in rental

Hanging sign, open floor plan, lounge

Pictured: FGX, a Purple island exhibit

See 20×20 rental booths →
Optipak booth by Purple Exhibits: clean wide shot of the Optipak island booth with blue carpet, white pedestals, Purple work to compare for your Dakotafest booth
Island20×30+$25,000 – $55,000all-in rental

Demo stations plus private meetings

Shown: Optipak, a Purple island exhibit

See 20×30 rental booths →

In Purple's Dakotafest price

  • Design work and a 3D rendering, with revisions until the Dakotafest layout is right
  • The structure, printed graphics, counters and storage your Dakotafest plan specifies
  • Lighting plus power distribution within the booth at Dakotafest
  • Setup and teardown, with our project manager on the Dakotafest floor
  • Show-service orders and deadlines for Dakotafest, tracked on your behalf

Paid to Dakotafest and its contractor

  • Your Dakotafest booth space, paid to the organizer
  • Material handling / drayage, if the Dakotafest space rate leaves it out
  • Electrical, internet and rigging orders for Dakotafest
  • Booth cleaning and any union labor the Dakotafest show grounds requires

Rates to plan with for Dakotafest:

  • Forklift service, 2026 $104.50 per lot if ordered by Aug. 5; $156.75 after; package delivery $52.25 source
  • Electricity, outdoor, 2026 One 15-amp outlet when contracted; $156.75 fee if used without a contract source
  • Customer tickets and wristbands, 2026 $6 each; first 20 customer tickets prepaid ($120); extra staff wristbands $6 a day source
  • Booth build 10×20 rental $7,500–$15,000; 20×20 custom $50,000–$120,000, Purple's 2026 planning range source

We estimate each of these on your Dakotafest proposal, so the total is on paper before you sign.

Each price is an all-in 2026 rental range for design, structure, graphics, installation and dismantle; we quote custom builds project by project. Run your Dakotafest numbers in the booth cost calculator and the 2026 booth cost guide.

Every fee on paper upfront, in full, for your Dakotafest booth.
Tell us your Dakotafest booth size and what the space has to do. Expect a reply within one business day and, usually within a week, a rendering and a fixed proposal for Dakotafest. No charge.
Get my Dakotafest proposal

The booth we would build for Dakotafest 2027

The street-front lot with a shaded counter

Dakotafest is walked like a town: producers stroll down numbered streets and judge each lot from the gravel edge. The display that works puts the machine on the street line, a canopy behind it for shade, and a counter where a rancher can sit out of the August sun and talk delivery.

Built for Dakota ground. Backed by people who farm it. 01Street lineEquipment parked facing the street withwalk-around room on every side, as IDEAgasks, and one bold price-and-spec…02Canopy counterA weighted 10×20 canopy with a printedback wall, a counter at standing heightand a cooler of water; the place…03Plot or demo stripFor seed brands, signed hybrid rowsreadable from the street; for handlingequipment, a short strip where a gate…04Crew cornerA screened back corner for crates, acharging point off the 15-amp outlet andthe parking-pass truck staged before… SHOW STREET · LOT FRONTAGE NEIGHBOR LOT NEIGHBOR LOT N
Concept lot plan for Dakotafest, not to scale: an outdoor lot with machines on the frontage and shelter at the back, following the lot rules on this page; your final plan is drawn to your lot size and the organizer's rules.
01

Street line

Equipment parked facing the street with walk-around room on every side, as IDEAg asks, and one bold price-and-spec sign on a weighted stand.

02

Canopy counter

A weighted 10×20 canopy with a printed back wall, a counter at standing height and a cooler of water; the place a family stops to rest and listen.

03

Plot or demo strip

For seed brands, signed hybrid rows readable from the street; for handling equipment, a short strip where a gate or panel can be opened and closed by hand.

04

Crew corner

A screened back corner for crates, a charging point off the 15-amp outlet and the parking-pass truck staged before the 8:30 a.m. gate close.

The demo

Show the machine doing its job in small: open the chute, run the auger, fold the planter wing, then hand over a one-page spec with the dealer's name. Seed brands walk growers into the plot and pull a plant.

The meetings

Dakotafest has no meeting system. Meetings happen under the canopy or in the exhibitor lounge at booth #424, open from 7 a.m. in 2026, so we put two folding tables and shade in the back of the lot for dealer and banker conversations.

Built for Dakota ground. Backed by people who farm it.
What the back wall could say at Dakotafest
Waaree booth by Purple Exhibits: green and white Waaree solar booth, like the booths we plan for Dakotafest

The Dakotafest booth is lit and stocked before your team arrives. You just show up.

Waaree island, a Purple Exhibits design, build and install

03 Built by Purple

Dakotafest 2027 lot displays built for Dakota producers

KLEEMANN booth by Purple Exhibits, a case study we share with Dakotafest exhibitors

Case study · KLEEMANN

KLEEMANN at an industrial technology exhibition

KLEEMANN's booth put real machines next to clear explanations of how they work, which is the job of a Dakotafest lot: producers walk around the equipment, then step under the canopy to talk numbers.

Read the KLEEMANN case study All case studies →

“From start to finish, their team was professional, responsive, and incredibly easy to work with. They designed and built a beautiful trade show exhibit that exceeded my expectations and helped our company stand out. We received many compliments on our booth.”

Yossi Mouskup, Senior Insurance Broker, IGI Insurance Agency · more reviews from Purple clients
10,000+ booths built3,000+ exhibitors served4.9★ client ratingSince 2015

Trusted by exhibitors including

KLEEMANNNantsuneEagle ChemicalsRPS GroupFIMI GroupJainex Steel

04 Designing for equipment, seed, livestock handling, building and farm service companies selling to Northern Plains producers at Dakotafest

Designing a Dakotafest lot for wind, dust and walk-around traffic

Farmer in a cap standing between tall corn plants under a pale summer sky1

Face the street, leave walk room

IDEAg's rules ask that equipment face the street with room between pieces so producers can walk around every side. We lay out the lot from the street edge back, keep the canopy behind the machines and leave a clear path to the counter.

Cowboy in a straw hat and blue shirt holding a paint horse on a lead outside a ranch barn2

Build for August wind and dust

Exhibit space at Dakotafest is open to dust, rain and wind, and IDEAg takes no responsibility for weather. We use weighted canopy legs, wind-rated mesh banners, sealed graphics and covers for anything that cannot take overnight condensation in the ag tents.

Farmer in a blue plaid shirt looking out over green crop rows on a sunny day3

Use the plot as the display

Seed companies at Dakotafest plant their own plots, so the crop is the booth. We add row signs that stay readable from the street, a shaded tent at the plot head and a counter where an agronomist can talk yields with a grower.

Older farmer on a red ATV checking a cow beside a stone wall in evening light4

Plan power from the orange boxes

Outdoor exhibitors who contract electricity get a single 15-amp outlet, and power used without a contract cost $156.75 in 2026. We size lighting, screens and fans to that outlet and run cords from the distribution box shown on IDEAg's map.

Purple Exhibits 3D booth concept for Flashnet, the kind of rendering we make for Dakotafest

Concept rendering

Your Dakotafest proposal comes with a rendering like this

The 3D view shows layout, graphics, lighting and product positions before we cut a panel, and we revise it until the Dakotafest booth is right. Pictured: a Purple concept for Flashnet.

Start my Dakotafest concept

Floor at a glance

Where you could be at Dakotafest 2027

Dakotafest has no halls: it is a fenced grid of streets, lots and tents. These are the areas that shape a display, from IDEAg's 2026 show map and manual.

AAg tents (4th to 5th Street)
BOutdoor equipment lots
CLivestock Tent and chute demo area
DSeed plots and the south lots
Dakotafest show grounds, MitchellSchematic, not to scale
A

Ag tents (4th to 5th Street)

Tent spaces set by IDEAg with blue drape at the back, low dividers at the sides, a name sign and power, near the show office at Main and 4th.

Our advice Ag tent booths must come down at the Thursday close, so we pack tent graphics into one crate.

B

Outdoor equipment lots

Lots from 25×50 to 50×100 along numbered streets, with a single 15-amp outlet where electricity is contracted.

Our advice Corner lots on Main Street see the most traffic between the show office and the Livestock Tent.

C

Livestock Tent and chute demo area

Chute demonstrations at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. daily in 2026 and livestock education sessions from 11:15 a.m.

Our advice Cattle-handling brands near the tent catch producers walking out of each demo.

D

Seed plots and the south lots

Planted plots about 60 feet wide on the south side, close to the material handling loading area on 1st Street.

Our advice Plot signs need stakes that survive a week of wind; we plan them with the planting date.

05 Dakotafest show grounds · Mitchell

Dakotafest 2027 move-in, forklifts and Mitchell show site rules

Dakotafest is a fenced field site, not a hall, so the plan starts with the truck. In 2026 shipments were accepted from August 10, UPS or FedEx only, and IDEAg's forklift service cost $104.50 per lot when ordered by August 5, then $156.75, with each lift held to 30-minute slots and no lifting of people. The multiple-height loading dock sits on the west side off Spruce Street, and the area south of it floods after rain. Vehicle gates close at 8:30 a.m. on show days, so our project manager stages everything on the lot the day before and runs the install with the labor and vendors IDEAg approves.

What Purple handles

  • Outdoor lot displays with weighted canopies and wind-rated graphics
  • Ag tent booth graphics within the 8-foot back and 4-foot front limits
  • Seed plot signage and plot-head tents
  • Forklift, insurance, dig-request and tent rental paperwork on IDEAg's deadlines
  • Freight to the Spruce Street show site and lot staging
  • Storage and reuse for Farmfest, Husker Harvest Days or a winter indoor show

Your Dakotafest timeline, from move-in back

We need your Dakotafest design signed off by About 10 weeks before move-in.

  1. Spring 2027Space contract signed with IDEAg; lot or plot location and size agreed, with renewals placed first.
  2. About 10 weeks before move-inDesign sign-off on canopy, graphics, counters and any dig or excavation request.
  3. June–July 2027Production in our Fishkill, NY or Las Vegas shop within 30 to 45 days; tent rental forms, insurance certificate and forklift order filed to IDEAg's 2027 deadlines.
  4. Move-in week before August 17Freight delivered to the show site by carrier; 2027 move-in days not confirmed yet (in 2026 move-in ran August 10 to 17).
  5. August 17–19, 2027Show days; your Purple project manager is on the grounds each morning before the vehicle gates close.
  6. After the closeTent booths come down the final evening; lots clear over the following days, and in 2026 everything had to be off the site by August 25.

Purple's planning timeline for Dakotafest. Official move-in, freight target and order deadlines for Dakotafest come from your exhibitor kit and assigned schedule; we confirm them against your booth when you book.

Print the Dakotafest budget & deadline sheet

Before you book Dakotafest 2027

What Dakotafest exhibitors plan before the gates close

  1. IDEAg's forklift fee rose from $104.50 to $156.75 per lot for orders after August 5 in 2026, and pre-ordered exhibitors were unloaded first, with no appointments taken. source

  2. Vehicle gates close at 8:30 a.m. on show days and reopen only at the close, so anything not on the lot by then waits until evening. source

  3. Do not stage machines south of the west-side loading dock: IDEAg warns that area floods after rain and trucks have been stuck there. source

  4. Customer tickets carry your company name and cost $6; you prepay only the first 20 and are billed after the show for the rest that are used at the gate. source

  5. Exhibitors who came the year before get first pick of lot locations, and lot improvements are considered, so renewing early protects a good corner. source

Who you meet on the floor

Row crop farmers

They come to compare planters, tillage and seed plots, per IDEAg's list of seed plot and technical product demonstrations.

Cattle producers

Cow-calf and feedlot operators watch the Livestock Tent chute demos and Beef Quality Assurance sessions; IDEAg counts 670,000 beef cows within 200 miles.

Hog producers

South Dakota's swine operations are in reach: IDEAg counts 8.4 million hogs within 200 miles of Mitchell.

Farm families

IDEAg builds the show for families, with forums, music, the pedal pull and free entry for children 17 and under in 2026.

Side by side

Dakotafest vs Ag Progress Days vs Farm Progress Show: 2027 at a glance

Dakotafest vs Ag Progress Days vs Farm Progress Show: 2027 at a glance
DakotafestAg Progress DaysFarm Progress Show
DatesAugust 17–19, 2027August 10–12, 2027August 31 – September 2, 2027
WhereMitchell, SD · Dakotafest show groundsPennsylvania Furnace, PA · Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center at Rock SpringsDecatur, IL · Progress City USA
Size400+ exhibitors on the Mitchell grounds434 exhibitors at Ag Progress Days 20252,043 average acres farmed by attendees, 2022
Main buyersRow crop farmersDairy and livestock farmersFarm owners and operators
Booth spacePrice not publishedIndoor spaces, 2027 rates: 15′ × 10′ $1,020; 30′ × 10′ $1,500, with power, table and chairsField demo add-on, 2026: $500 for Varied Industries Tent exhibitors; outdoor lot exhibitors qualify without the fee

Figures carry the year and source shown on each show's own page.

Travel to Dakotafest 2027

Getting to Dakotafest 2027: airport, hotels and parking

Fly in

Sioux Falls Regional Airport (FSD)

About an hour east of Mitchell on I-90; the show site is at exit 332

Stay

Mitchell hotels and campgrounds listed by the organizer; no camping on the show site

Official Dakotafest hotels →

Park

Free attendee parking on the east and west sides of the grounds; exhibitor vehicle passes by lot size

Find the venue

Dakotafest show grounds
2300 East Spruce Street, Mitchell, SD 57301

Open in Google Maps →

Travel facts from dakotafest.com.

Dakotafest by the numbers

Dakotafest year by year

2026
400+ exhibitors
Mitchell source
AttendeesExhibitors

How Dakotafest 2027 compares with other agriculture shows

The agriculture shows closest to Dakotafest on the calendar, with the latest size each organizer has published. Each name other than Dakotafest opens our exhibitor guide for that show.

ShowDatesCityLatest published size
Tech Hub LIVECropLife Media GroupJuly 19–21, 2027Des Moines, IA56 exhibitors on an 80-space floor plan, July 20–22 (2026)
FarmfestIDEAg GroupAugust 3–5, 2027Morgan, MN–
Citrus & Specialty Crop ExpoAgNet Media (Citrus Industry magazine)August 4–5, 2027Fort Myers, FL–
Agronomy Conference & ExpoThe Fertilizer Institute (TFI)August 9–11, 2027Indianapolis, INExpo limited to 30 companies, JW Marriott Indianapolis, August 4–6 (2025)
Ag Progress DaysPenn State College of Agricultural SciencesAugust 10–12, 2027Pennsylvania Furnace, PA40,000+ (show manager's estimate) attendees (2026)
DakotafestIDEAg GroupAugust 17–19, 2027Mitchell, SD400+ exhibitors (2026)
Farm Progress ShowFarm Progress (Informa Markets)August 31 – September 2, 2027Decatur, ILNearly 600 exhibitors (2026)
Husker Harvest DaysFarm Progress (Informa Markets)September 14–16, 2027Grand Island, NE2,220 average acres farmed by attendees (2025)
CEA Summit EastIndoor Ag-Con and the CEA Innovation Center (Virginia Tech and IALR)September 14–15, 2027Danville, VA–
AABP Annual ConferenceAmerican Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP)September 16–18, 2027Louisville, KY1,594 total attendance, Minneapolis 2026

Dakotafest exhibitor questions

Dakotafest 2027 questions from exhibitors

When is Dakotafest 2027?

August 17–19, 2027, Tuesday through Thursday, in Mitchell, South Dakota, per IDEAg. The 2027 daily schedule is not confirmed yet; the 2026 grounds opened 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday.

Where is Dakotafest held?

On the Dakotafest show grounds at 2300 East Spruce Street, Mitchell, SD 57301, reached from I-90 exit 332, per IDEAg. Attendee parking is free on the east and west sides of the grounds.

How much does exhibit space at Dakotafest cost?

IDEAg sends its booth rates in the prospectus by email rather than posting them, so a lot or plot price comes from the sales team. On top of space, Purple's rented 10×20 tent booth with your graphics runs $7,500 to $15,000, and outdoor lot displays are priced from the canopy and graphics you need.

What kinds of exhibit space does Dakotafest sell?

Three kinds: booths in the ag tents from 10×10, outdoor lots of 25×50, 50×50, 50×75 and 50×100 feet, and seed plots about 60 feet wide, per IDEAg's exhibitor resources. Livestock Tent booths have their own contract.

How many people attend Dakotafest?

More than 26,000 farmers and livestock producers, per IDEAg, with over 400 exhibitors on the grounds. Within 200 miles of the show IDEAg counts 36,000 farms and 16.5 million harvested acres.

How does forklift service work at Dakotafest?

IDEAg runs it: in 2026 it cost $104.50 per lot if ordered and paid by August 5 and $156.75 after, as a one-time move-in and move-out charge. Lifts are limited to 30 minutes per company at a time, and drivers must unload self-propelled machines themselves.

Can we put up a tent on our Dakotafest lot?

Tents are normal on outdoor lots, and IDEAg's manual lists tent rental forms due to Lincoln Tent, Inc. in July. Anyone who wants to dig below the surface files a Request to Dig form first, and post holes must be refilled when the lot is cleared.

Can we hand out food samples at Dakotafest?

Samples are allowed at 2 ounces of food or 4 ounces of beverage, inside your space, with a Booth Sampling/Waiver Authorization form on file. County food inspectors walk the grounds, and outside food not approved by IDEAg is removed.

How many exhibitor wristbands come with a Dakotafest space?

It depends on the space: a 10×20 tent booth gets 6 a day, a 50×50 lot 6, a 50×100 lot 7 and a seed plot 14, per IDEAg. Extra wristbands cost $6 a day and are claimed through a registration link IDEAg emails to the main contact.

What insurance does Dakotafest require?

General liability of $1,000,000 per occurrence for every exhibitor; exhibitors with equipment or chemicals also carry $1,000,000 auto and $1,000,000 umbrella liability, naming IDEAg and the site owner as additional insureds. IDEAg can stop a booth from setting up without the certificate.

What is the difference between Dakotafest and Farmfest?

Both are IDEAg's August outdoor farm shows: Farmfest is in Redwood County, Minnesota, about two weeks earlier, and Dakotafest serves South Dakota, North Dakota and Nebraska producers from Mitchell. Brands selling across the region often book both and move the same display.

Is Dakotafest worth it for a small ag business?

It is when your customers farm or ranch in the Dakotas: a tent booth puts you on Main Street among 400-plus exhibitors for three days, and IDEAg's customer tickets cost $6 each with only the first 20 paid up front.

Can Purple build our Dakotafest display?

We can. We produce canopies, graphics and counters in Fishkill, NY or Las Vegas, file IDEAg's forms, ship to the Spruce Street site and your project manager runs the setup on the lot with the labor and vendors IDEAg allows.

Before you sign for Dakotafest

Ask any Dakotafest exhibit builder these five questions:

  1. How will you anchor a canopy on a Dakotafest lot without digging, or will you file IDEAg's Request to Dig form?
  2. What wind rating do your banners and canopy legs have for an open South Dakota field?
  3. How will you fit our lighting and screens on a single 15-amp outlet?
  4. Will your vendor be on IDEAg's approved list, or will you send show management your insurance and work dates?
  5. Where does the display go after August, and how is it priced to move on to Husker Harvest Days or a winter indoor show?

What Dakotafest exhibitors ask us

We have never done an outdoor show. What can go wrong? Wind, dust and overnight condensation, all named in IDEAg's manual. A weighted canopy, sealed graphics and plastic covers at night handle most of it, and the forklift order placed early handles the rest.

Is a tent booth enough, or do we need a lot? If you sell services or small products, a tent booth on 4th Street near the show office works and comes with drape and power. If producers need to walk around a machine, take a lot; tent space cannot hold equipment.

We already do Farmfest. Is Dakotafest the same crowd? Not quite. Farmfest draws Minnesota; Dakotafest's 200-mile circle covers South Dakota, North Dakota and Nebraska ranch country, with more cattle and hogs, and IDEAg runs both, so the paperwork is familiar.

Get a proposal

Tell us about your Dakotafest booth

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We reply to Dakotafest requests within one business day. Your Dakotafest rendering and fixed proposal, usually within a week. No charge, no commitment.

Your Dakotafest request goes straight to Purple’s exhibit team.

What happens next

  1. We reply within one business day with questions about your products, goals and Dakotafest footprint.
  2. A concept rendering and a fixed proposal usually follow within a week. No fee left off: every Dakotafest cost is listed upfront, on paper.
  3. Production runs 30–45 days, then we ship to the advance warehouse and install before the Dakotafest hall opens.
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