Sunbelt Agricultural Exposition 2026

The Sunbelt Ag Expo is described as the largest agricultural exposition in the Southeast. The show is attended by over 100,000 visitors annually. Historically, numbers tabulated by expo officials in 2005 showed that more than 200,000 people entered the gates of Spence Field during the three-day show. The audience spans farmers, agribusiness professionals, educators, policy-makers, students, and families from across the United States. The event is credited with bringing an additional $30 million annually to the area, with an estimated $10 million spent in Colquitt County.

Commercial exhibitor and booth pricing is set through the official exhibitor application; prospective exhibitors should contact the Expo's exhibitor relations team for current rates. One published example comes from the Georgia Grown Marketplace, a special vendor area in the Family Living Building: vendors receive 10-foot wide by 8-foot deep booth spaces at a cost of $325, located in an enclosed building with concrete flooring (not climate controlled), with booths including pipe and drapery and one 110v electrical connection. Tables, chairs, and carpet are not included and must be ordered separately.

Tickets can be purchased in advance online or at the gate. Per the official visitor information:

• Gate admission: $15 per person per day (children 10 and under admitted free with a parent).
• Advance tickets: $12 per person per day, or $30 for a multi-day admission ticket.
• Credit, debit, and cash are accepted at the gate; no personal checks.
• There are no refunds for online ticket purchases.

Exhibitors apply separately through the exhibitor portal, and sponsorship packages are available year-round. Questions can be directed to the Expo's VP of Exhibitor Relations.

The Sunbelt Ag Expo traces its roots to 1964, when the first Dealer Day was held on the campus of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton, Georgia. The first Sunbelt Expo itself was held in 1978, though the history of the Expo began years earlier, starting in 1964. The primary founder was the late Joe Burnside, who worked for University of Georgia Extension as a coordinator of agriculture and forestry. The first Expo in 1978 featured 410 exhibits and attracted an estimated crowd of 140,000.

The show has grown steadily in both exhibitors and attendees over the decades. The research farm is named after the late Darrell Williams, longtime farm manager at the Sunbelt Expo who died in 2009. Over the years the Expo has introduced innovations such as four-row cotton pickers and self-propelled peanut combines, and it continues to add new sections like the Rural Lifestyle exhibit area.