Colorado State Fair
“Harvesting joy since 1872.”
The Colorado State Fair has been a place where agriculture, community, and celebration converge since 1872. It began as a gathering of farmers bringing their best crops, swapping tips for difficult Colorado soil, sharing the latest seed innovations, and competing for bragging rights. Pueblo’s fair wasn’t just a momentary reprieve; it was a lifeline. A place where scattered communities came together to learn, connect, and thrive. Over 150 years later, that spirit of community celebration endures.
Pueblo’s first horse show in 1869 drew more than 2,000 people, laying the foundation for what would become a cornerstone of Colorado culture. By 1872, the Southern Colorado Agricultural and Industrial Society formally organized the fair. They did so without state funding and little outside support, but with a fierce belief in the power of gathering.
The fairgrounds moved before settling in 1900 on land accessible by rail. By then, Pueblo had grown from a military outpost into a hub of agriculture and steel. A place where people brought cantaloupes and cattle, iron and ingenuity. Each chapter of the fair’s history reflects the resilience of Coloradans. Through seasons of growth, hardship, and war, the fair always returned.
Today, at the Colorado State Fair, you’ll see children learning to milk dairy cows while grandparents reminisce about their first rodeo. Historical buildings, more than a century old, stand beside modern carnival rides and corn dog stands. The state fair is proudly quirky—pig races for Oreos, high dives, and deep-fried candy bars. But beneath the spectacle is a commitment to connection—to food, to land, and to one another.
Ask someone in Pueblo what the state fair means, and they’ll give you a memory. A parade. A handshake. A chili-smothered cheeseburger. They'll tell you how it connects urban and rural communities in Colorado, how it bridges generations and preserves traditions.
The state fair remains one of the few places where recent transplants and long-time Coloradans meet with open hands. Linger in the livestock barns or pause by the quilting demonstrations, and you'll likely meet someone whose family has worked this land for generations. You might hear how Pueblo’s famous green chiles became a point of pride or meet the girl who raised the Grand Champion steer and sold it for a college scholarship. A 4-H kid who learned to program a robot. A Fiesta Day queen inspiring the next generation of Latinas toward leadership.
When the gates open in Pueblo, step through them not just for the funnel cake or fireworks, but for a connection to land, neighbor, and legacy. The Colorado State Fair is a sacred place.
