The Elbert County Fair Board is hard at work preparing for this year’s county fair, which runs from July 27 to Aug. 4. This year marks Elbert County’s 90th annual county fair and its 150th birthday, or sesquicentennial.
Even though the fair doesn’t start until the end of July, the fair board works year-round making sure everything is in place. Vendor applications, possible sponsors, the theme, and so much more is being finalized. Elbert County Fair Board President Tammi Scheider proudly said that “Many people will tell you that the fair is the best week of the summer.”
“The objective of the Elbert County Fair is to showcase our rich and rural heritage, highlight livestock production, consumer science, and business enterprise in Elbert County,” she added. “The fair serves as an excellent means of bringing our community together as it is the only county-wide event held annually in Elbert County.”
Amanda Love, board secretary and vendor coordinator, estimates that the event easily takes over 100 total hours to organize and plan throughout the year. “The minute the fair is over we hop right back into planning, learning and creating a new fair for the following year,” she said.
At the Feb. 21 Elbert County Fair Board meeting, several theme possibilities were presented. “How the West was Grown” was the clear winner with nine out of 13 votes. It was one of the Elbert County 4-H Youth Council ideas submitted by Lasie Zion.
Other ideas floated included “Welcome to Fairadise” and “The Fair Necessities.” The winning theme aligns with the “Old West’’ concept for Elbert County’s 150th. In keeping with this idea, the Elbert County 4-H Leaders’ Council Gala on April 27th is themed “How the West was Won.”
Schneider was delighted to provide information about the new banquet scheduled this summer, in honor of the 150th birthday. The Elbert County Centennial Farms & Ranches Banquet will take place on the fair’s opening day. The Elbert County Fair and Elbert County Historical Society, along with the Elbert County Sesquicentennial Committee, are hosting the event to celebrate Elbert County’s centennial farms and ranches, which are designated by History Colorado.
The Colorado Centennial Farms & Ranches Program has recognized 14 farms or ranches across Elbert County, some dating back to the 1860s. History Colorado writes that “family farms and ranches, historic barns and other agricultural sites are disappearing at an alarming rate.” The program recognizes the contributions of Colorado’s ranching and farming families, which have “withstood the pressures of growth, changes in farming methods, drought, and economic conditions to preserve these important pieces of our state’s commercial and cultural history.”
Scheider said that the board hopes “the community will be excited about this event and purchase tickets as we recognize these families who are preserving our heritage. We also hope that this will bring recognition to the program and encourage other family farms and ranches in the county to consider making an application through History Colorado for this prestigious designation.”
In addition to organizing the banquet and other fair events, the board has been working to recruit more sponsors, choose vendors, and go over fair rules with a fine-toothed comb. CORE will be a platinum fair sponsor this year and several other companies have recently committed to sponsor as well, including Burnco, Lifetime Windows and Siding, and Cypress Creek Renewables.
Love is working on bringing a wide variety of food and drink to the fair. “You will see some new faces as far as food and drink trucks to try some new eats,” she said. The Elbert County Booster Club has been asked to return to run the Snack Shack for 2024 and Cowboy Up was approved to continue selling alcoholic beverages this year.
Love added that they’ve already “booked many amazing vendors with goodies galore for fair-goers to buy from.” The Mercantile, open the final weekend of the fair, will have new hours and open on Friday night.
The board also recently voted to switch to awarding belt buckles as the prize for Showmanship winners and Grand Champion Showman in all species classes. The fair will also continue to utilize Show Barn Flix to stream county fair events for those in the community who cannot attend in person.
The Elbert County Fairgrounds staff is working to prepare the fairgrounds as well, covering everything from weed control to road maintenance. The staff also reaches out to 4-H clubs to enlist help painting and repairing fairground buildings.
In a few short months, Elbert County residents will be able to enjoy the results of all of this hard work.
“We partner closely with the county Extension office and focus on putting on an event that serves the county to bring fun and entertainment to our area,” Schneider said. “Our goal is always to have an exciting venue highlighting our Western culture that showcases the 4-H and FFA youth by providing them with an appropriate place to exhibit their accomplishments in agriculture, STEM, and all projects they work so hard on all year long.”
For a full schedule of fair events, as well as banquet tickets, visit elbertcountyfair.com/index.html.
The fair board meets monthly in the Fellowship Hall at the Elbert County Fairgrounds. Meeting minutes are available at elbertcountyfair.com/meetings-minutes.html.