Southern New Mexico State Fair underway through Oct. 3
UPDATE, Sept. 29: Rodeos, rides, and funnel cakes. If it smells like a fair, it is a fair. The 55th annual Southern New Mexico State Fair is back.
It opened Wednesday and continues through Oct. 3 at the fairgrounds at 12125 Robert Larsen Boulevard, just west of Las Cruces. The fair operates daily starting at 9 a.m. and stays open until 10 p.m. on weekdays and midnight on weekends.
The fair, which began in 1966, features a rodeo along with over 200 exhibitors, artisans, carnival rides, various food vendors and musical entertainment.
For more information, tickets and directions, visit snmstatefairgrounds.net.
ORIGINAL REPORT, Sept. 20: DOÑA ANA COUNTY, New Mexico -- Unlike in northern New Mexico, a vaccine card will not be necessary to enter the Southern New Mexico State Fair and Rodeo later this month.
“There is no requirement for vaccination or proof of negative testing," said fair manager Travis Brown. "But we will follow all the New Mexico regulations that are in place at the time of our event.”
The fair will run from Sept. 29 to Oct. 3 at the Doña Ana County Fairgrounds west of Las Cruces. The organization was forced to cancel the fair in 2020, but there was a small youth livestock show that year.
Brown could not specify how much the organization lost that year, but he told ABC-7 it was significant. He also said the Southern New Mexico State Fair invests $250,000 into the entire event.
“We took a loss, so we’re very hopeful that this year is going to be tremendous when it comes to attendance," Brown said.
For those who are concerned about the spread of Covid-19, he recommended visiting the fair on a less popular day, like Wednesday or Thursday.
The organization is hoping for more than 30,000 visitors this year. Masks will be required to enter any buildings on the fairgrounds, so Brown recommended that everyone bring one in their pocket or purse.
"We’re so excited to be back," Brown said. "We made it through last year.”
For complete information about this year's Southern New Mexico State Fair and Rodeo click here.
