North Dakota Winter Show

The North Dakota Winter Show is an agricultural event held at the Valley City Event Center featuring livestock exhibitions, rodeo performances, craft displays, and farm industry presentations. The venue contains multiple exhibition halls with separate sections for livestock, commercial vendors, and entertainment activities.

The show was founded in 1937 when a local businessman and community leaders created the event to support the agricultural community during economic hardship. Over the decades it grew into a major regular gathering with livestock presentations and rodeo competitions.

The show reflects regional traditions through rodeo competitions and livestock exhibitions that represent rural agricultural life in the Great Plains. Visitors observe how farming communities showcase their work and pass down practices to the next generation.

The event draws tens of thousands of visitors each year and takes place in March when weather conditions in the region are still cool. It helps to arrive early or plan your visit on a weekday to avoid heavy crowds in the exhibition areas.

Since 2000 the North Star Classic, one of the region's largest cattle sales events, has been integrated into the show. Thousands of cattle are brought together and sold here, making the auction a center for livestock trading across the Great Plains.