Garfield County Fair & Rodeo

Celebrating all-American flair at the fair

You can feel it in the air, the Garfield County Fair and Rodeo is right around the corner, and we cannot wait for everyone to come together to enjoy the fun. This year’s theme “All-American Flair at the Garfield County Fair” honors our long-standing tradition to celebrating the unique personalities who make our community such a colorful place to live. The 86th annual event takes place from July 19-28, at the Garfield County Fairgrounds in Rifle.

The fun starts with the Latino heritage concert on Friday, July 19, followed by the annual parade down Railroad Avenue on Saturday, July 20. The fantastic Gabby Barrett takes the stage on Friday night, July 26, with singer and songwriter Ned LeDoux kicking things off. It’s going to be a great night of music that you won’t want to miss!

“Welcome to one and all. Whether you are one or 100, we are glad to see you here during fair week,” said Commissioner Mike Samson. “Lots of good old-fashioned events, as well as new exciting ones. I hope to see you during this great time of celebration.”

Nothing makes us happier than seeing everyone come out to the fairgrounds to showcase their talents, creativity, and the fruits of their labor. This is all on display at the Open Exhibits and livestock events, which are the culmination of months of hard work by the residents of Garfield County. Take a stroll through the North and South halls and the indoor arena to see just how diligent these folks have been leading up to fair week. We love to see our western heritage thriving in our young 4-H members!

“Put your patriotism on either your shirt, hat, or jeans,” said Commissioner John Martin. “See you at the fair!”

The Ranch Rodeo and the Family & Kidz Rodeo kick-off the fun on Sunday, July 21, and Tuesday, July 23, respectively. The PRCA ProRodeo and Xtreme Bulls return to Rifle to get the adrenaline flowing on Wednesday and Thursday nights. If you hear smashing and crashing of steel, be sure that the demolition derby is underway on Saturday night, July 27. The ever-popular Strongest of the Strong competition flexes into Saturday morning, beginning at 9 a.m. The new Motocross event is creating a lot of buzz! Come check it out on Sunday, July 28 to close out the fair.

“The Garfield County Fair is my favorite event of the year, where we honor our western traditions with events for our entire community, from bull-riding to the carnival, mutton-busting, and the family rodeo,” added Commissioner Tom Jankovsky. “Thank you for helping us celebrate our wonderful traditions and a fun-filled week.”

We look forward to seeing you all at the fairgrounds for this celebration of community,

John, Mike, and Tom