Fairs and Carnivals return to Arizona for 2021. A summary of the trade fair events shows that a festive mood is imminent for the state, especially as summer gives way to more moderate autumn.
The Coconino County Fair recently published a call for their 2021 vendors. Held practically last year, the show attracts around 45,000 visitors annually and is slated for the annual Labor Day Weekend in Flagstaff this year. Entry is $ 8.
The Yavapai County Fair in Prescott attracts over 88,000 visitors and takes place September 9-12. Admission is $ 6 and includes arena shows from a greased pig competition to a rodeo. A spring carnival with rides from Browns Amusement from Mesa took place on the exhibition grounds in mid-April. The Prescott Valley Chamber of Commerce is hosting its own PV Days Carnival May 7-9. Sun Valley Rides will be offering rides at the 33rd event. According to the chamber and event manager Gloria Grose, there will also be a comedy night, a Friday event “Fiesta Del Pueblo” with folkloric dancers and a handicraft market at the carnival that is intended to appeal to all age groups, Grose claims.
With a rodeo, Little Buckaroo Rodeo, live entertainment, a demolition derby, cattle, antique tractor show, and carnival, the Navajo County Fair is held in Holbrook starting September 15. The fair celebrates its 90th anniversary and attracts around 26,000 visitors. She will use Frazier Amusements for her carnival and halfway there. Joe Stoddard and Washboard Willie are among the planned entertainers. Admission to the fair is $ 5, rodeos and demolition derbies are $ 9, and the Little Buckaroo Rodeo is $ 6. The rodeo events and the derby are the main attractions of the fair.
In mid-September the Apache State Fair welcomes again in St. Johns. This fair includes local music performances, rides as well as handicrafts. It runs from September 8th to 15th this year.
The 52nd Gila County Fair will be held in Globe, Arizona, September 23-26. The event and exhibition schedule are still being finalized, but there will be a personal event this year. In 2020 a virtual exhibition with cattle took place at the fair.
In October, Phoenix will host the annual Arizona State Fair at the State Fairgrounds. Admission is between $ 5 and $ 10, depending on the day. The fair will take place from October 7th to 31st. The annual attendance is 1,250,000 and offers ten entertainment stages at the largest event in the state.
The 2021 Arizona State Fair is moving from the Exhibition Grounds on 19th Avenue and McDowell Road to a new home on Wild Horse Pass near Chandler. It’s supposed to be a “temporary” move. In this way, the state exhibition center will continue to be available for public health needs such as COVID-19 testing and vaccinations. Placing the fair in Native American countries will also allow for a focus on Native American culture and heritage, fair officials say.
State Fair Board chairman Johnathan Lines made the move official to allow more space and security for the large fair than is possible at their usual Phoenix location. “While we’re confident that vaccine distribution will return to normal, this temporary location gives us the ability to plan and ensure the show no matter what,” explains Lines.
The temporary move coincides with the 116th year of the fair. Last year’s event was canceled; However, a drive-through food event brought in popular treats like Nutella funnel cakes in late September 2020. The cancellation of COVID-19 in 2020 was not the only time that the fair had to be closed. It was also suspended in 1918 because of the Spanish flu outbreak and during the Great Depression, as well as World Wars I and II.
The much larger room in Chandler makes social distancing and other security protocols easier. Over 75 trips are planned by the regular carnival supplier Ray Cammack Shows and over 100 food stalls. While social distancing and hand sanitizing stations will be in place, masks are suggested but are not required.
A major annual attraction is the All Indian Rodeo Event with broncos, bareback riders, roping and steer wrestling.
To warm up the big fair, the Phoenix location is hosting a special Crazy Times carnival this spring with over 20 rides including KMG G-Force, Zero Gravity and an Eli Eagle-16 ferris wheel, as well as a dozen games halfway through. There are also ten food vendors, including the popular Fried A Fair, and palm-reading vendors. The event ran through May 9 with an entry of $ 5 or $ 40 for entry plus an unlimited bracelet.
Arizona State Fairgrounds spokeswoman Jennifer Yee notes that as a long-time partner of the Arizona State Fair, Ray Cammack Shows is also the company behind this spring carnival. The fairground had offered COVID-19 vaccinations; Yee notes that Banner Health closed its COVID-19 clinic earlier than originally planned. Together with an opening in the planning of the Ray Cammack shows, holding this event was seen as an excellent preparation for the big event in October.
Ray Cammack Shows also hosted a carnival in the parking lot of the Phoenix Premium Outlets in March. The number of visitors was high at both events.
Together with the State Fair, also in October, the Graham County Fair in Stafford is “Barn to be Wild”. The fair with around 26,000 participants per year was canceled in 2020, but is planned for October 7th to 10th of this year. Masks and social distancing are required; Masks are provided for those without one. Last year the fair was in operation, but it was modified and only ran for a limited time with no carnival or live entertainment.
The outlook for 2022 is also part of the Arizona Fair calendar. Trade show attendees will find the Maricopa County Fair event due to take place at the Phoenix Exhibition Center in April 2022. Tuscon will host the Pima County Fair that same month.
Comments are closed.