Better Than Fair

At the end of Colorado's summer fair season each year comes the granddaddy of them all, an epic eleven-day extravaganza of corn dogs, rodeo, country music, demolition derbies, racing pigs, beer, carnies and everything else that makes fairs awesome: It's the Colorado State Fair, and this year's edition should kick...

By Jef Otte

August 25, 2011

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At the end of Colorado's summer fair season each year comes the granddaddy of them all, an epic eleven-day extravaganza of corn dogs, rodeo, country music, demolition derbies, racing pigs, beer, carnies and everything else that makes fairs awesome: It's the Colorado State Fair, and this year's edition should kick even more ass than usual.

Consider, for example, Pirates for Hire, a family activity that features a cast of scurvy swabs including "one that looks like Johnny Depp," says general manager Chris Wiseman. Then there's Movie Stunt Adventure, a free, daily course that teaches ordinary folks to do things like fall out of a two-story window.

What else sets this year apart from the preceding 138 years (the fair's been popping since before Colorado was even a state)? How about a world-record juggler and a strongman competition, not to mention appearances from the Beach Boys and Engelbert Humperdinck (advance-purchase tickets include gate admission).

The shindigging starts today at 8 a.m. at the state fairgrounds in Pueblo, 1001 Beulah Avenue, and continues through September 5; admission is $10 Friday through Sunday and $7 on weekdays. For tickets, information and a full schedule of events, go to www.coloradostatefair.com.
Aug. 26-Sept. 5, 2011

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