PUEBLO, Colo. (KOAA) — For generations of families, the Colorado State Fair has been more than rides, food and entertainment. It has become a place to make memories and eventually pass those traditions on.
As Colorado celebrates its 150th anniversary, families from Pueblo and across the state are once again filling the fairgrounds. Colorado State Fair General Manager Andrea Wiesenmeyer said helping create memories that can span generations is one of the most meaningful parts of the event.
“I get to help people create memories,” said Wiesenmeyer. “And so my hope is that they came with maybe their parents or grandparents, and that they’re bringing their kids, and we’re helping create those generational memories.”
For lifelong Pueblo resident Tricia Tondera, those memories stretch back decades.
“I have been coming to the Colorado State Fair for years, ever since I was a little kid,” said Tondera. “My grandmother used to have the whole family meet her at the horse races way back in the ’60s and ’70s, and we used to bet dimes on the horses.”
Other families are creating traditions of their own.
Fairgoer Niki Arriaga said her children look forward to the event each year.
“The kids are always counting down, waiting for the fair to come,” said Arriaga.
Josh Bold said part of what makes the fair special is seeing people come together and enjoy themselves.
“We were just in the petting zoo, and you see people dealing with a lot in their life, and then everybody’s in the petting zoo smiling, man,” said Bold. “...That’s a good thing.”
That ability to bring people together is something other fairgoers noticed, too.
“I love that it brings the whole state together,” said Kaylee Machado Anzlovar. “Everybody from Denver to Trinidad comes here every year, so we like that.”
For Tondera, having an event capable of drawing people from across Colorado also gives Pueblo an opportunity to showcase the community she has called home her entire life.
“I’ve been born and raised here in Pueblo, and I love living here,” said Tondera. “The Colorado State Fair is right in our backyard. It builds relationships, community and so forth.”
The Colorado State Fair continues in Pueblo through Labor Day.
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