The 2021 Archuleta County Fair Royalty invites you to join in this week’s fair festivities. Pictured, from left to right, are Fair Princess Cheyenne Bechhold, Fair Queen Madeline Baker and Fair Junior Princess Katie Baker.
By Lisa Vail
Archuleta County Fair Board
Come to the 2021 Archuleta County Fair and meet this year’s fair royalty: Fair Queen Madeline Baker, Fair Princess Cheyenne Bechhold and Jr. Princess Katie Baker.
The 2021 Archuleta County Fair officially opens Thursday, Aug. 5, at 9 a.m. and runs through Sunday, Aug. 8, closing at 4 p.m. In celebration of the 70th anniversary of the fair, general admission to the fair is free this year. This includes the Livestock Tent, Exhibit Hall, Activity Tent and food vendors. There will be a charge for the Friday and Saturday rodeos, with tickets available at the gate. Tickets for each rodeo are $15 per adult, $8 ages 4-17, and free for kids 3 and under. If you buy a ticket for both rodeos, the charge is $25 per adult and $12 per child ages 4-17.
Visit https://archuletacountyfair.com for a complete schedule of the events. Each day of the fair includes the kids’ train and games, the petting farm, a variety of vendors and food, and 4-H and Open Class entries on display in the Exhibit Hall and Stith Room. The livestock area will be open to the public so you can see the animals and talk to the 4-H kids who raised them.
A perennial attraction of the Exhibit Hall is the quilt display and there will be many gorgeous quilts to see this year.
The Pagosa Springs Rotary Club will be hosting the Beer Garden again this year, with a portion of the proceeds going to the Pagosa Pirates wrestling team.
In addition, on Thursday there will be the goat, alpaca, swine and steer shows in the Hughes Pavilion. Tap your inner artist and paint your masterpiece, 4-8 p.m. Have some silly fun at the pie-eating contest in the Activity Tent.
Special events on Friday include the Lamb, Turkey, Chicken and Steer Shows. Another pie-eating contest will be held at 1 p.m. Wild Man Phil and his exotic animals have three shows at 11 a.m., 2 p.m., and 4 p.m. There will be a demonstration of Aikido martial arts at 1 p.m. You will have another chance to create with painting from 4 to 8 p.m. The Activity Tent will really get jumping at 5 p.m. with live music by Jack Ellis and Out On Work Release. The exciting Bares, Broncs and Bulls Rodeo kicks off at 7 p.m. in the rodeo arena. The evening closes with live music by Tim Sullivan from 9 to 11:30 p.m.
Saturday is a big day, starting with a horseshoe-pitching tournament at 9 a.m. Wild Man Phil and painting are all back for encore performances. The evening starts with live music by the San Juan Mountain Boys at 4 p.m., providing a musical background to the Chuckwagon Dinner 4:30-6:30 p.m. This dinner is the major fundraiser for the local 4-H clubs and tickets will be available Saturday in the information booth. The excitement ramps up when the Livestock Auction begins at 6 p.m., with auction bidder and add-on registration starting at 5:30 p.m. The evening closes with the Jeffrey Alan Band providing live music for the Fair Dance from 9 to 11:30 p.m.
The kids’ rodeo is the main event on Sunday, starting at 10 a.m. Livestock animals and vendors will be there until 2 p.m. The Exhibit Hall is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Go to https://archuletacountyfair.com for complete details on all the events and schedule.
It’s a timeless tradition — see you at the fair.
Every Day of the Fair
9am-6pm Kids Ride The Train / Kids Games FREE Fairgrounds
9am-5pm Vendors / Food Vendor Row
9am-6pm Petting Farm Fairgrounds
10am-8pm Various Entertainment and Shows Activity Tent
9am-9pm Open and 4-H Class Entries and Displays Exhibit Hall & Stith Room
Thursday, August 5th - Fair Officially Opens
9am Exhibit Hall & Stith Room Open Extension Building
9am Goat Shows: 4-H, Open & Showmanship Hughes Pavilion
11am Alpaca Show Rodeo Arena
1pm Pie Eating Contest: Adult and Youth divisions Activity Tent
4pm-8pm Picasso & Vino (walk-ins welcome) Activity Tent
6pm 4-H Swine Show and Showmanship Hughes Pavilion
7:30pm Steer Showmanship & Fitting Clinic Hughes Pavilion
9pm Exhibit Hall & Stith Room Close Extension Building
Friday, August 6th
9am Exhibit Hall & Stith Room Open Extension Building
9am Lamb Show: 4-H, Open & Showmanship Hughes Pavilion
11am Wild Man Phil and his exotic animals on stage Activity Tent
1pm Aikido Demonstration Activity Tent
1pm Pie Eating Contest: Adult and Youth divisions Activity Tent
2pm Turkey Show and Showmanship Hughes Pavilion
2pm Wild Man Phil and his exotic animals on stage Activity Tent
4pm Wild Man Phil and his exotic animals on stage Activity Tent
4pm-8pm Picasso & Vino (walk-ins welcome) Activity Tent
4pm Chicken Show: 4-H, Showmanship, & Open Class Hughes Pavilion
5pm-7pm Live Music-Jack Ellis with Out On Work Release Activity Tent
6pm 4-H Steer Show and Showmanship Hughes Pavilion
7pm Bares, Broncs, ‘n Bulls Rodeo Arena
9pm-11:30pm Live Music-Tim Sullivan Activity Tent
9pm Exhibit Hall & Stith Room close Extension Building
Saturday, August 7th
8:30am 4-H Showmanship Clinic Hughes Pavilion
9am Exhibit Hall & Stith Room Open Extension Building
9am Horseshoe Pitching Doubles Tournament Horseshoe Pit
10am Wild Man Phil and his exotic animals on stage Activity Tent
10am 4-H Master Showman Hughes Pavilion
11am-3pm Picasso & Vino (walk-ins welcome) Activity Tent
12noon Rodeo Rodeo Arena
12noon Wild Man Phil and his exotic animals on stage Activity Tent
2pm Wild Man Phil and his exotic animals on stage Activity Tent
4pm-6pm Live Music-San Juan Mountain Boys Activity Tent
4:30pm-6:30pm 4-H Chuckwagon Dinner, a benefit for 4-H Activity Tent
5:30pm Fair Honorees and Conservationist of the Year Activity Tent
5:30pm 4-H Livestock Auction Bidder/Add-on Registration Hughes Pavilion
6:00pm 4-H Livestock Auction Hughes Pavilion
9pm Exhibit Hall & Stith Room Close Extension Building
9pm-11:30pm Fair Dance-Jeffrey Alan Band Activity Tent
Sunday, August 8th
8am Kid’s Rodeo Late Registration Rodeo Arena
9am Exhibit Hall & Stith Room Open Extension Building
9am 4-H Parent/Master Showman Contest Hughes Pavilion
10am Kids Rodeo Rodeo Arena
11am Pie-eating Contest: Adult and Youth divisions Activity Tent
2pm Animals Loaded on Semi Truck Hughes Pavilion
4pm Fair Closes until next year Fairgrounds
4pm All private haulers must remove animals Hughes Pavilion
4pm-6pm Release of Open Class Projects/Premiums Paid Exhibit Hall
4pm-6pm Release of 4-H Class Projects Stith Room
4pm Tear down — All 4-Hers are required to help Hughes Pavilion
