Utah State Fair Informations

Coordinates: 40°46′21.2″N 111°55′8.8″W / 40.772556°N 111.919111°W / 40.772556; -111.919111

The Utah State Fair is held at the Utah State Fairpark in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The fairgrounds are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The fair takes place each year starting on the first Thursday after Labor Day and lasts for 11 days.

Every year the State Fair hosts musical guests and other entertainers during the fair. From the grandstand line-up to the demolition derby, truck pull and PRCA rodeo. The fair offers mostly free entertainment with a few of the bigger concerts at a price.

The fair's grandstand represents the best in entertainment for the fair. The 2013 grandstand concert line-up included top performers: Plain White T's, Amy Grant, American Pickers, Love and Theft, Bridgit Mendler, 38 Special, Caleb Chapman's Crescent Superband with special guest Poncho Sanchez, The Texaco Country Showdown State Finals, Kahuna Beach Party and Ramón Ayala. The 2019 edition will see big names like Old Dominion, Prince Royce, and Foreigner.Most shows are free and only need a seating ticket.

Free with the gate admission the State Fair has entertainment on the grounds. This year the entertainment will feature: Paul Bunyan Lumberjack Show, The Great American Duck Race, Wizards Challenge, Randy Cabral, Freddy Fusion and Lokalgrown.

The gazebo on the fairgrounds is also home to free entertainment. The gazebo will host entertainment from: Randy Cabral and Freddy Fusion Science Magic Show (Sept. 5th-15th), Cross Strung (Sept. 5th), County Red (Sept. 6th), Eric Dodge (Sept. 7th), The Hollering Pines (Sept. 8th), The Linfords (Sept. 9), Kindle Creek (Sept. 10) and Lokalgrown (Sept. 11th-16th).

Living Arts,4-H Food and Clothing, Agriculture, Creative Arts, Fine Arts, Floriculture, Home Arts, Indoor Cook-offs, Outdoor Cook-offs, Photography, Livestock, Jr. Livestock, Beef Cattle, Dairy Cattle, Goats, Poultry, Rabbits, Sheep and Swine.

Food options at the Fair vary from traditional fair corn dogs, Navajo tacos to sweet funnel cakes.

Fairgrounds don't allow any pets besides assistance animals with the written approval. Visitors cannot bring any vehicles like bicycles, motorcycles, roller-skates, roller blades, scooters, skateboards or golf carts without written permission from the Fairpark management. Outside food is permitted, but no alcohol may be brought to the fairgrounds. To keep the atmosphere friendly and safe for everyone, organizers reserve the right to remove from the Fair area any person who uses abusive language or behavior, wears offensive clothing, and is strongly intoxicated. The Fair authorities may also remove any person conducting private business or distributing advertising material without an authorized Exhibit Space Lease Agreement. Patrons shall not litter the territory of the Fairpark and damage the buildings or grounds and shall adhere to the official hours of the Fair.

During the 1700 and early 1800s, trappers and other frontiersmen passed through the Salt Lake Valley of what is today Utah. With the high rugged Rocky Mountains on the east and miles of unfriendly, hot, dry desert and salt flats on the west, most of these early explorers and settlers found the climate and land an inhospitable environment in which to settle.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) had been established in 1830 by Joseph Smith in New York. Due to religious persecution, the group moved further and further west, yearning for a land to settle in which they could practice their religion. Following the murder of Joseph Smith in Nauvoo Illinois, Brigham Young lead the Mormon pioneers across the plains and west of the United States borders where they could live with religious freedom and establish their homes. The Salt Lake Valley met their desires.

In July, 1847, the first pioneers reached the Salt Lake Valley. Although the land poised many challenges, this was a choice situation for the pioneers, even though most were from the fertile eastern states.

Due to the isolation of the territory, for the pioneers to survive it was imperative that they become self-sufficient and provide all of their necessities. Thus, the major goal of agricultural policy in pioneer Utah was complete self-sufficiency and independence.

The major instrument for implementing this policy was the Deseret Agricultural and Manufacturing (D.A.M) Society, incorporated by an act of Territorial Legislature on January 17, 1856.

The D.A.M. Society staff consisted of six men who were elected in the first instance by the joint vote of the State Legislative Assembly. These men of foresight and vision gave their loyal service without any compensation other than the joy of public service. Despite its charter as an agent of the territorial government, the Society's motive force and institutional goals and staffs were provided by the LDS Church and for many years the president of the Society, and the members of its board of directors, were selected or approved by Brigham Young. The first President of the Society was The Presiding Bishop of the LDS Church, Edward Hunter who served from 1856 until 1863.

In the LDS Church General Conference, a semi-annual meeting of the LDS Church, following the incorporation of the Society; an entire session was devoted to a reading of the act of an "agricultural sermon" explaining the Society's plans and purpose to "promote the arts of domestic industry and to encourage the production of articles from the native elements in Utah Territory." As one way of doing this, the Society sponsored an annual exposition in Salt Lake City, "The Deseret Fair."

Only nine years after the 1847 arrival of the Mormon pioneers to the Salt Lake Valley, the Deseret Agricultural and Manufacturing Society organized the first Fair and continued to organize and sponsor the Fairs until 1907.

The first fair, then called "The Deseret Fair," was held October 2–4, 1856 in the building known as the "Deseret Store and Tithing Office," in downtown Salt Lake City across the street from where the Salt Lake City Utah LDS Temple was to be built. Later in 1909 the Deseret Store and Tithing Office (a bishop's storehouse) and the Deseret News printing plant were moved to accommodate the construction of the Hotel Utah, which is now the Joseph Smith Building.

The basement of the Deseret Store, displayed agriculture products including, "large hens from Land's End England." The handicraft products were displayed on the first floor, including, "a very handsome bridle, saddle and buckskin suit" and on the second floor were fruits of the orchard and garden, and household items.

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