Colorado State Fair
| Colorado State Fair | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Colorado State Fair in 2015 | |
| Genre | State fair |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Locations | Pueblo, Colorado |
| Years active | 153 |
| Inaugurated | October 9, 1872 |
Most recent | August 28–September 7, 2026 |
| Website | coloradostatefair |
The Colorado State Fair is an event held annually in late August in Pueblo, Colorado. The state fair has been a tradition since October 9, 1872.[1]
The fairgrounds also host a number of other events during the rest of the year. Organizationally, the fair is one of the divisions of the Colorado Department of Agriculture.[2]
History
[edit]When Colorado became a state in 1876, its state fair was already earning its place in history.[citation needed] In 1869, approximately two thousand people converged on what is now Pueblo for a horse exhibition; from that meager beginning was born the Colorado State Fair.[1]
There were cancellations in 1917–18 and 1942–45 due to World War I and World War II, respectively.
In 2011, the grand champion goat shown by Colorado State University student Maggie Weinroth was disqualified after failing a drug test.[3] Ractopamine was found by doing tests on the urine, blood, and tissues of the goat.[4] The Weinroth family appealed the decision, claiming the goat ingested a large amount of a foreign feed mixture overnight before the fair.[5] After months of fighting, the Weinroth family won their battle with the fair in March 2012.[6]
In November 2019, the Colorado State Fair was audited by the Colorado General Assembly.[7] As reported in local media, the audit found that the Fair had lost money for the previous 21 years in a row, with deficits averaging $4 million per year between 2014 and 2018.[8]
2020 saw drive-thru fair food and limited exhibitions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[9]
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- 1 2 "History | Colorado State Fairgrounds". Colorado State Fair. Retrieved September 11, 2021.
- ↑ "About Us". Colorado Department of Agriculture. Colorado Official State Web Portal. Retrieved February 5, 2018.
- ↑ Schrader, Ann (October 14, 2011). "Colorado State Fair champion goats disqualified after failed drug test". Denver Post.
- ↑ "Fair learns of tainted animal feed allegations".
- ↑ Burnett, Sara. "Family fights to restore name in Colorado State Fair goat dispute - The Denver Post". The Denver Post. Retrieved February 4, 2012.
- ↑ "Pueblochieftain".
- ↑ "Performance Audit: Colorado State Fair Authority". Colorado General Assembly. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
- ↑ "The State Fair Has Lost Money For 21 Years Straight. An Audit Finds It Has 'Fundamental' Problems". Colorado Public Radio. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
- ↑ "2020 Annual Report.pdf". Colorado State Fair. Retrieved September 11, 2021.
External links
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38°14′57″N 104°38′21″W / 38.24903°N 104.63924°W
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