History
The Larimer County Fair has a long history providing entertainment and fun to the citizens. During its history, the Larimer County Fairgrounds location has moved three times. The first location was a 40-acre parcel located in Fort Collins on Lemay Avenue where Poudre Valley Hospital now stands. The fair was held here from 1879-1891. A financial crisis in 1893 brought an end to the county fair in Fort Collins.
In 1912, Loveland added the fair as an extension of the City's annual Corn Roast celebration, building a facility on a six-acre site of a former horse racetrack, adjacent to the Big Thompson River and just south of downtown Loveland. The Old Fairgrounds housed many structures: a caretaker's House, former Cavalry Stables, and two buildings once used to house prisoners of war during World War II. The fair remained at this location until 2002.
With the help of long-time Fair advocates and many 4-H families and friends, a measure passed by Larimer County voters in 1998 allowed for a one-year sales tax to purchase the land that would eventually house the new fairgrounds. Another measure passed in 1999 supporting the construction of The Ranch, Larimer County Fairgrounds and Events Complex, a state of the art complex that has 242 acres of land and over 375,000 square feet of indoor event space.The first fair was held at this location in 2003.
In addition to the move of the annual Larimer County Fair in 2003, The Ranch Events Complex accommodates a variety of events from trade shows, conferences, and meetings to concerts and festivals. It's easily accessible location and impeccable amenities have made it the ideal site for regional, state and national events. The rich tradition, hard work and community involvement at the "Fairgrounds" continues. The saying "If there's somebody you haven't seen for awhile, go down to the fair and you'll see them," still stands.
Since the first shovel hit the ground on its campus, The Ranch Events Complex has been earning the reputation as one of the premier event and entertainment complexes in the region. With the ability to host anything from a board meeting to tens of thousands of music festival fans, the multi-purpose venues on the campus of The Ranch are not only known locally as a place for local entertainment but is also a nationally known event destination.
