Koi Fest 2026: Celebrating Five Years of Koi, Community & Connection
Sep 30th 2026
Koi Fest 2026 marked the fifth anniversary of Fitz’s Fish Ponds’ annual celebration of Japanese koi, pond keeping, and the growing koi community. Held Aug. 21–22, 2026, at the Fitz’s Fish Ponds farm in Milford, New Jersey, this year’s Koi Fest brought together koi collectors, pond owners, industry professionals, manufacturers, families and hobbyists for two unforgettable days centered around a shared passion for koi.
From the Tri-State ZNA Koi Show and the first-ever Koi Fest Goldfish Show to a Japanese-style koi auction featuring more than 100 koi, vendor exhibits, hourly giveaways, food, entertainment, and the chance to win a koi-buying trip to Japan, Koi Fest 2026 was our biggest celebration yet.
And for our fifth anniversary, we wanted it to be about more than simply making the event bigger.
We wanted to celebrate the community that has made Koi Fest what it is today.
Five Years of Koi Fest at Fitz’s Fish Ponds
Five years ago, Koi Fest began with a relatively simple idea.
Fitz’s Fish Ponds had a koi farm filled with beautiful Japanese koi and a growing community of customers who shared our passion for the hobby. We wanted to bring those people together, open up the farm, and create an event where everyone could enjoy incredible koi while connecting with others who loved them just as much.
That first event showed us just how special the koi community could be when everyone gathered in one place.
Since then, Koi Fest has continued to evolve.
We've added new experiences each year. Manufacturers and vendors have become a larger part of the event. We introduced the Japanese-style koi auction in 2023, and it quickly became a Koi Fest favorite. The Tri-State ZNA Koi Show brought competitive koi showing and judging directly into the festival. Friday expanded into a dedicated Special Access Experience, giving serious koi hobbyists more time to explore The Farm and shop for koi before Saturday’s larger crowds arrived.
Over time, Koi Fest grew from a koi-focused event into a full weekend celebrating the koi, pond, and ornamental-fish hobbies.
By the time we began planning the fifth anniversary, the question was no longer whether Koi Fest could keep growing.
The question was: How do we celebrate five years of Koi Fest while staying true to what made the event special in the first place?
The answer was to put the fish — and the people who love them — at the center of everything.
Kohaku & Tanabata: Celebrating Japanese Koi Culture
Each year, Koi Fest draws inspiration from the Japanese heritage behind the koi hobby.
For the fifth anniversary, we chose one of the most iconic Japanese koi varieties: Kohaku.
Recognized by its beautiful red beni pattern against a clean white shiroji base, Kohaku may appear simple at first glance. But experienced koi keepers know that simplicity is exactly what makes an exceptional Kohaku so difficult to produce, and so rewarding to appreciate.
The Japanese festival of Tanabata provided additional inspiration for Koi Fest 2026, bringing another connection to Japanese culture into the weekend. Bamboo wishing stations were set up throughout the event, inviting attendees to share their wishes for the year ahead.
The combination felt especially appropriate for a fifth anniversary: honoring the traditions at the heart of the koi hobby while continuing to build something new around them.
Koi Fest 2026 Special Access Day
Koi Fest officially began Friday, Aug. 21, with our Special Access experience at the Fitz’s Fish Ponds farm.
Before the larger Saturday crowds arrived, Special Access guests experienced the farm at a slower pace and spent dedicated time shopping for Japanese koi.
Scheduled koi-buying tours gave collectors and hobbyists a more personalized way to explore the full selection of koi available throughout the greenhouses. Alongside members of the FFP koi team, guests could discuss what they were looking for, compare individual fish, and learn more about breeders, varieties, body conformation, patterns, and future potential. The tours created an opportunity to slow down, ask questions, and make more informed selections with the team's guidance.
For newer koi keepers, it was an opportunity to learn.
For experienced collectors, it provided something equally valuable: time.
Selecting a koi can be an incredibly personal process. When you are considering a fish that may live in your pond for many years, it helps to slow down, study it, and compare it with other options.
Special Access Day creates that opportunity.
Friday evening shifted from koi shopping to something equally important—spending time together.
Guests, vendors, manufacturers, industry partners, and members of the Fitz’s Fish Ponds team came together Friday evening for the Koi Fest Welcome Dinner. Featuring Tokyo Hibachi, the sushi and hibachi experience gave everyone a chance to relax, connect, and celebrate together before the main Koi Fest festivities began Saturday morning.
It reminded us of something we have learned repeatedly during the first five years of Koi Fest: the relationships surrounding the koi hobby are every bit as important as the fish themselves.
Saturday at Koi Fest: When the Farm Comes Alive
Saturday morning brought an entirely different atmosphere to the Fitz’s Fish Ponds farm.
VIP guests began arriving at 9 a.m., followed by general admission at 10 a.m.
And then Koi Fest was officially in full swing.
Throughout the property, attendees could explore Japanese koi, watch the koi and goldfish shows, visit industry manufacturers, shop pond products, enjoy food and entertainment, enter giveaways, and spend time with fellow pond and koi enthusiasts.
Some visitors came with a very specific mission: find their next koi.
Others came to compete in the koi show.
Some wanted to speak with manufacturers about filtration systems, water treatments or other pond products.
Others simply wanted to bring their families and experience Koi Fest for the first time.
That mix of people has become one of our favorite parts of the event.
A first-time pond owner might find themselves standing beside a koi collector who has been involved in the hobby for decades. Contractors can talk directly with manufacturers. Customers can reconnect with members of the FFP team they have worked with throughout the years.
And people who previously knew each other only through social media or the online koi community finally get to meet face to face.
Even a hot-air balloon joined the fifth-anniversary celebration, adding another memorable sight to an already busy Saturday at the farm.
The Tri-State ZNA Koi Show at Koi Fest 2026
At the center of Koi Fest were, of course, the koi.
The Tri-State ZNA Koi Show once again brought competitive koi showing to the Fitz’s Fish Ponds farm.
Show tanks gave attendees the opportunity to see impressive koi representing multiple varieties and size classes while experienced hobbyists competed for recognition.
For those already involved in showing koi, the competition is a chance to present fish they have carefully selected and raised.
But one of our favorite aspects of having a koi show within Koi Fest is what it offers people who are still learning.
Seeing quality Japanese koi side by side is one of the best ways to develop your eye.
Body conformation, skin quality, color, pattern, and overall presence become much easier to understand when you can compare fish in neighboring tanks.
Someone may walk up to a Kohaku simply thinking, “That is a beautiful fish.”
After spending time around the show, listening to experienced hobbyists and learning more about judging, they may begin to understand why that particular Kohaku stands out.
That education is one of the most valuable parts of a koi show.
You do not need years of experience to enjoy it.
Sometimes all it takes is stopping at the first tank and taking a look.
The First Koi Fest Goldfish Show
Koi were not the only fish taking center stage in 2026.
For our fifth anniversary, Koi Fest expanded with its first dedicated Goldfish Show.
Twenty-four tanks brought another fascinating side of the ornamental-fish hobby to the farm and introduced many Koi Fest attendees to competitive goldfish.
Varieties such as Ranchu, Oranda, Ryukin, Veiltail, and Butterfly goldfish offered visitors something entirely different to study.
Like koi, high-quality goldfish are judged on characteristics that go far beyond color alone. Body shape, finnage, movement, balance, and variety-specific standards all play a role.
For many attendees, the Goldfish Show became an unexpected highlight.
Koi hobbyists stopped to learn about goldfish. Goldfish enthusiasts explored the koi show. Aquarium keepers found themselves talking about ponds.
That crossover is exactly the kind of interaction we want Koi Fest to encourage.
The pond, koi, aquarium, and ornamental-fish communities overlap in more ways than people sometimes realize. Bringing those interests together creates opportunities for everyone to discover something new.
More Than 100 Japanese Koi Hit the Auction Block
One of the most anticipated events of Koi Fest returned Saturday: the Japanese-style koi auction.
Since its introduction in 2023, the auction has quickly become a signature experience of Koi Fest.
For 2026, more than 100 koi were prepared for auction, including tosai, nisai and sansai.
The selection included fish in different sizes, varieties, and price points, giving both newer hobbyists and established koi collectors a chance to participate.
And when the auction begins, the energy of Koi Fest changes.
People gather around the auction area. A koi is presented. The bidding starts.
A few paddles go up.
Then another.
And suddenly everyone wants to know who is going home with that fish.
Some attendees arrive at Koi Fest knowing exactly which koi they intend to bid on.
Others insist they are only going to watch.
Those plans can change.
That is part of what makes the Koi Fest auction so much fun. Purchasing a koi becomes a shared experience, and even attendees who never place a bid find themselves invested in seeing where the bidding ends.
And as Koi Fest continues to evolve, we are already considering ways to make the auction accessible to even more attendees in the future.
Hourly Giveaways & a Koi-Buying Trip to Japan
You never knew exactly what might happen next at Koi Fest 2026.
Throughout Saturday, hourly giveaways brought attendees back together for prizes donated by Fitz’s Fish Ponds and participating manufacturers.
Giveaways included koi, fish food, pond products, filtration equipment, aquatic plants, and other products for koi and pond enthusiasts.
The hourly schedule created a fun rhythm throughout the day. Visitors could explore the farm, shop, visit manufacturers, or watch the shows before gathering again when the next giveaway was announced.
But one giveaway stood above the rest.
At 4 p.m., we selected the winner of the Koi Fest 2026 Japan Trip Giveaway.
The grand prize includes a koi-buying trip to Japan! For serious koi hobbyists, visiting Japan is often a top bucket-list experience.
It is an opportunity to visit the breeders responsible for some of the world’s finest Nishikigoi, experience Japanese koi culture firsthand, and select fish at the source. This remains the most anticipated draw of the day!
Connecting Pond Owners With the Industry
Koi Fest has always been about koi, but the vendor and manufacturer portion of the event has become increasingly important.
Koi Fest 2026 brought together companies and industry partners representing filtration, pumps, water treatments, koi food, pond equipment, and other products used by pond owners and professionals.
For attendees, that means an opportunity to go beyond simply seeing a product online or on a store shelf.
They can ask questions.
They can see how equipment works.
They can talk directly with people who manufacture, distribute, and work with these products every day.
For manufacturers, the value works in the opposite direction.
They can hear directly from the hobbyists, pond owners, and contractors using their products.
That interaction was a recurring theme in our post-event vendor feedback.
Vendors reported strong booth traffic, valuable conversations, and meaningful opportunities to connect with both hobbyists and pond professionals. Several also provided ideas for future Koi Fest events, including additional demonstrations, interactive experiences, expanded product availability, and new ways for attendees throughout the property to follow the koi auction.
We take that feedback seriously.
Koi Fest has never grown simply by making everything bigger.
It has grown by listening to the people who participate.
What You Don't See Behind Koi Fest
When you arrive at Koi Fest, you see the finished event.
You see the tents.
The koi tanks.
The vendor booths.
The food trucks.
The show areas.
The auction.
The giveaways.
What you don't see are the months of planning required to put all those pieces together.
Koi Fest touches nearly every department at Fitz’s Fish Ponds.
Our koi team selects, photographs, organizes, and prepares fish. Our retail teams prepare products and sales areas. Our marketing team manages advertising, signage, digital communication, and event materials. Our farm team prepares the property. Staff members coordinate vendors, sponsors, food, parking, tours, tanks, dinners, guest lists, giveaways, and dozens of other details.
Then event week arrives.
Schedules change.
Deliveries move.
Weather becomes a factor.
Equipment needs to be relocated.
A vendor needs something.
A fish needs attention.
Someone needs electricity in a place where no one planned for electricity.
And somehow, it all comes together.
One of the most meaningful pieces of feedback we received following Koi Fest 2026 was repeated praise for the Fitz’s Fish Ponds team and the overall organization of the event.
We are incredibly proud of the people who work behind the scenes to make Koi Fest possible.
Five Years Later, Koi Fest Is About Community
Eventually, every Koi Fest has to end.
Late Saturday afternoon, the crowds began to thin. Vendors started packing their displays. Show tanks were emptied. Signs came down.
Customers left with new pond products, memories, and, in many cases, new koi.
Slowly, the property began looking like the Fitz’s Fish Ponds farm again.
But after five years, Koi Fest has become much more than an event we host once a year.
It has become a reunion for the koi and pond community.
It is a place where someone building their first pond can meet someone who has collected Japanese koi for decades.
It is where manufacturers can hear directly from customers.
It is where pond contractors can reconnect with colleagues and learn about new products.
It is where families can introduce children to koi and goldfish.
It is where hobbyists can learn about competitive koi showing, discover a new variety, bid in their first koi auction, or simply spend a day surrounded by other people who understand why they love this hobby so much.
And yes, it is still a place where someone can arrive absolutely convinced they don't need another koi and somehow end the afternoon figuring out how to get one home.
Five years ago, Koi Fest started with a simple idea: bring people together around koi.
Today, the crowds are larger. The tents are bigger. More vendors, more fish, more competitions, more activities, and a lot more happening behind the scenes.
But the reason Koi Fest continues to grow has remained remarkably simple.
We love the fish!
And somewhere along the way, the people who love them became a community.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for Koi Fest 2026 and everyone who has helped make Koi Fest what it is over the past five years. We cannot wait to see what comes next!
