Colorado State Fair seeks to improve visitor experience with latest renovation project
The Colorado State Fair has renovated areas of its main entrance in Pueblo as part of facility improvements outlined in its master plan.
The renovations were completed in time for this year’s fair and include new walkways between Gate 5, the main entrance, and Palace of Agriculture. Contractors also added grass and trees within that section and replaced the predominant asphalt surface with a smoother one.
The project, which is part of Phase 1 in the fair's master plan, cost between $4 million and $5 million, said Scott Stoller, the state fair’s general manager. The state fair received about $10 million in state and local funds for the first phase.
Stoller described the latest renovation as an overhaul of that part of the facility and a shift from its former appearance as a “strip mall death valley.”
“There was no landscape and no flow to it,” Stoller said. “It was just sidewalks and asphalt.”
The project is an extension of the renovations state fair staff completed last year at Gate 5 when they added a tensile structure and ticket windows, among other improvements, to provide shade and limit visitors' wait times.
The newly-planted trees are not yet big enough to offer much shade but are expected to provide that in later years once they grow. But even now, they offer some shelter from the sun, Stoller said.
The trees were added to address longtime complaints from visitors that there isn’t enough protection to escape the heat when they roam outdoor areas on the fairgrounds in the often scorching heat of late August in Pueblo. Stoller mentioned how the facility at times is referred to as a “heat island” because there are dozens of trees surrounding the facility but not many within it.
“It should really cool the space off,” Stoller said.
The state fair’s iconic sand sculpture will sit within the roundabout when the fair opens, giving visitors a better look at its overall form. Last year, the sculpture sat tucked against a wall near the southern part of the fairgrounds.
West of the Palace of Agriculture, which Stoller said he had viewed as one of the “least usable spaces” on the grounds because of the asphalt, is where the new walkways and grass were installed. He said he anticipates the walkways will improve foot traffic and that the grass will help cool the area as it can reduce surface temperatures more effectively than asphalt or concrete.
“It’s really awesome. I’ve never seen this much done on a master plan and to be so impactful,” Stoller said. “Our main entrance to the fair, it really wasn't a great first impression. Now I would argue it's a fantastic one.”
Stoller said state fair staff are “far ahead of schedule” in their four-phase, 30-year master plan. Additional updates made in the past year include safety improvements inside the Southwest Motors Events Center and Palace of Agriculture.
What else to expect at this year’s Colorado State Fair
This renovation project is the biggest change visitors will see when the state fair kicks off on Aug. 25, but other minor changes are in store. Stoller said attendees can expect a new food stand around the main entrance area and new exhibit from History Colorado inside the Colorado Building.
The popular World Slopper Eating Championship this year will take place on the Pepsi Stage instead of the PB&T Bank Pavilion and Pueblo eatery Giodone’s will create a slopper-themed restaurant in the middle of the fairgrounds.
The annual fair goes from Aug. 25 to Sept. 4. For more information, visit coloradostatefair.com
Chieftain reporter Josue Perez can be reached at JHPerez@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @josuepwrites. Support local news, subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe.chieftain.com
This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: What to know about the latest renovations at the Colorado State Fair
