The Larimer County Fair and Rodeo is here. Here's what to know if you want to go
Ready for some corn dogs, carnival rides and mutton bustin'?
The Larimer County Fair and PRCA Rodeo is back at The Ranch events complex and Budweiser Events Center starting this week. It will feature live music, food trucks, rodeo events, kids activities and a 4-H exhibition.
Here's what to know ahead of time.
When is the Larimer County Fair?
The fair will take place Friday, Aug. 4, through Tuesday, Aug. 8.
It will kick off at 4 p.m. Friday with Native American singing and dancing and a welcome ceremony. Outdoor vendor hours at The Ranch will end at 10 p.m., and indoor vendor hours will end at 8 p.m. every day.
The fair opens Saturday and Sunday at 10 a.m. and again at 4 p.m. Monday and Tuesday.
Carnival Americana will start at 4 p.m. Friday, Monday and Tuesday and at noon Saturday and Sunday. It will close every night at midnight.
How much does it cost?
Admission to the fair is free, but the extras will cost you. Ride passes for Carnival Americana are $100 for all five days or $40 for a one-day pass. Carnival passes can be purchased online ahead of time or day-of at the cash-only carnival gate.
Tickets for the PRCA Rodeo are required for everyone 2 and older. They range from $22 to $27 each night and can be purchased at treventscomplex.com.
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What is there to do at the fair?
Free concerts:
If you're a music fan, free live music will take place every day on the fair's main stage from 6:30 to 10 p.m. Friday, 7 to 11 p.m. Saturday, 6 to 10:30 p.m. Sunday and Monday, and 5:30 to 11 p.m. Tuesday. The fair's community stage will also feature 30-minute community performances from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. For a full concert lineup or to sign up to play on the community stage, visit treventscomplex.com.
Kid-friendly events:
If you're looking for some family fair fun, try the fair's petting zoo and pony rides, the EverBlocks tent where you can play with stackable bricks, a mobile soft dart arena complete with inflatables or Jeff Boyer's Big Bubble Bonanza — where you can watch the "master bubble wrangler" mix comedy, music and interactive bubble magic.
Shows to catch:
Every day of the fair, you can catch axe throwing, log rolling and sawing competitions with The Axe Women Loggers of Maine. Play With Gravity — a Wyoming-based mototrials team — will show off its motorcycle skills by riding through a series of obstacles.
Not to let anyone else hog the spotlight, but a troupe of performing pigs known as Top Hogs of the Wild West will show off their smarts and skills during daily performances.
Friday and Saturday festivities will cap off with fireworks shows at 9 p.m.
Other offerings worth a stop:
Visit the fair's Mobile Earth & Space Observatory, or science center of wheels, where you can take part in hands-on educational research activities.
Shoot your shot at the fair's annual cornhole tournament Sunday. Check-in is at 2:30 p.m., and the competition starts at 3. You can register online ahead of time or on the day of the tournament.
Get a taste of "American Ninja Warrior" at the Ninja Nation mobile obstacle course. Or stop by Crafty Chassis, a 12-foot-truck-turned-arts-and-crafts-studio where you can try your hand at a variety of DIY projects.
For a full schedule of Larimer County Fair events, visit treventscomplex.com/events/larimer-county-fair.
The 75th Annual PRCA Rodeo
The county fair is not the county fair without its annual rodeo events, which will kick off at 7 p.m. Sunday through Tuesday. All three nights will feature eight events, including bareback riding, steer wrestling, bull riding, barrel racing and fan favorite mutton bustin'.
Tickets to the rodeo are required for all attendees 2 and older. They range from $22 to $27 each night and can be purchased at treventscomplex.com.
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Will there be food?
Yes. But not just any kind of food, my dears. Fair food. Nearly 20 food trucks will set up shop at the fair this year, offering everything from shaved ice and Dole whips to meat-and-cheese-stuffed corndogs.
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: The Larimer County Fair and Rodeo has arrived: hours, events, cost
