09/15/2026
Colorado State Fair 2026 Recap
State Fair always feels like a bit of a blur for me.
Between my responsibilities on the Colorado State Fair Authority Board, the State Fair Foundation Board, getting Addie where she needs to be, showing a horse myself, and trying to squeeze in a little fun along the way…my plate is usually VERY full.
Addie showed both Frannie and Dude and had some really great goes. Dude had a little tougher luck in the barrel pen when they knocked one over, but that’s horses — some days just don’t go your way.
And Harper got to have her very first State Fair show experience this year! She showed a friends’ mini Hereford heifer one day and spent the rest of her time soaking up the Fair — including some MAJOR FOMO while watching the pig show. I’m pretty sure she has already decided pigs are on the agenda for State Fair next year.
I showed Blondie too, although you’d never know it from my camera roll because apparently I took approximately zero pictures of myself.
And somewhere in the middle of all of that, we ate our way through the Fair, caught some amazing concerts, spent time with some of our favorite people, and had an absolute blast. Dylan Scott was hands-down my favorite night. SO good - Harper and I danced and danced.
But honestly, one of the things I love most about State Fair is how much of it still feels the same.
More than 30 years ago, my mom and I were doing many of these exact same things, at this exact same place. Showing horses. Walking those same barns. Spending long HOT days at the fairgrounds. Making memories.
And now I get to do it all over again with my own girls.
So much has changed in 30+ years…and somehow, at the Colorado State Fair, not that much has changed at all.
State Fair is a lot of work for me, but I really do love getting to experience it from so many different angles — as a board member, a horse show mom, a competitor, and just someone who still genuinely loves the Colorado State Fair!! Until next year!!
