Champion steers, champion food trucks, champion marching bands - all kinds of champions are recognized during the Colorado State Fair – now underway in Pueblo.
Challenging weather means opening day weekend this past weekend had a lower attendance than last year More than 110,000 people came to the fair on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, despite heat and rain. That’s down about 12 percent from last year.
But State Fair general manager Andrea Wiesenmeyer said ticketed concerts and rodeo numbers are good so far.
“That all went off without a hitch,” she said, “and everybody that we've talked to has had a really great time … feedback on that end has been really good. We're just all a little soggy.”
Saturday saw the highest attendance with more than 47,000 visitors. Weisenmeyer said rain caused some delays at events on Monday and Tuesday. She noted that the fair opens a little later on weekdays, at 3 p.m., right around the same time the storms rolled in.
“It's been everywhere from drizzle to hard rain and lightning,” she said. “We've really had to make sure that we're keeping people safe and indoors in order for them to have a good experience.”
She said they use social media, a public address system at the fairgrounds and radio communications among staff to make sure fairgoers are safe.
“We really are having great fair operations and things have been really, really smooth,” she said. “Our events have been really, really great. Unfortunately, our numbers right now just aren't going to be as exciting as the fair we're having because of the weather, so we're battling something we can't control.”
Wiesenmeyer said they're hoping for drier weather, which is in Pueblo's forecast for the upcoming weekend.
“So that people can really come out and spend some time and enjoy,” she said. “If anybody's got any connections with anybody upstairs, we'd sure like a little more sun and a little less rain.”
On Monday, the Junior Livestock Sale brought in more than $508,000 according to a press release from the Colorado Department of Agriculture. Young Coloradans from around the state raised and showed more than 100 animals, including the Grand Champion Market Beef which sold for $45,000.
Typically the young people use the proceeds from the auction toward college tuition or to help pay for the animal they’ll raise next year. But this time, the state Department of Agriculture said many of the exhibitors and supporters donated a portion of the funds raised to benefit the family of a competitor, Dominic Maldonado of Weld County, who lost his father just four days before the fair. They are also collecting funds to help Maldonado finish high school. Additional donations can be made online using this form.
Still to come are more concerts including Cheap Trick, Flo Rida and Los Huracanes del Norte, as well as rodeos and the Fiesta Day celebration of Hispanic culture. The carnival rides, ongoing livestock shows, food booths and free entertainment continue through Labor Day.
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