Colorado State Fair

History

When Colorado became a state in 1876, its state fair was already earning its place in history. 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.

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. Ractopamine was found by doing tests on the urine, blood, and tissues of the goat. The Weinroth family appealed the decision, claiming the goat ingested a large amount of a foreign feed mixture overnight before the fair. After months of fighting, the Weinroth family won their battle with the fair in March 2012.

In November 2019, the Colorado State Fair was audited by the Colorado General Assembly. 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.

2020 saw drive-thru fair food and limited exhibitions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

References

References

1. "History {{!}} Colorado State Fairgrounds".
2. . ["About Us"](https://ag.colorado.gov/home/about-us). *Colorado Official State Web Portal*.
3. Schrader, Ann. (October 14, 2011). "Colorado State Fair champion goats disqualified after failed drug test". Denver Post.
4. "Fair learns of tainted animal feed allegations".
5. Burnett, Sara. "Family fights to restore name in Colorado State Fair goat dispute - The Denver Post". The Denver Post.
6. "Pueblochieftain".
7. "Performance Audit: Colorado State Fair Authority".
8. "The State Fair Has Lost Money For 21 Years Straight. An Audit Finds It Has 'Fundamental' Problems".
9. "2020 Annual Report.pdf".