Huerfano County Fair

The Huerfano County Fair fills the La Veta 4H Barn and its grounds on Moore Avenue for five days in early August. The Huerfano County Fair Board puts it on. In the county 4-H ambassadors’ announcements it carries a longer name, the Huerfano County 4-H/FFA Fair and Livestock Sale. Nearly everything on the program is shown, judged, or sold by the county’s 4-H and FFA members. The fair’s website lists three 4-H clubs: Snowy Range, Highlanders, and Columbine. The Huerfano County 4-H Council runs the concession stand all week, and Extension Agent Marvin Reynolds answers the fair’s telephone at the CSU Extension office.

Wednesday through Friday in the barns

The 2025 fair, held August 6 through 10, opened on a Wednesday. General and open-class exhibits came in between 8 and 9 a.m., and judging and interviews for the 4-H projects began at 9:30. At 10 the 4-H and FFA Horse Show started in the rodeo arena. Around 2 p.m. the building closed to the public while staff placed the awards.

Thursday the animals arrived, large stock between 8 and 11 a.m. and small stock between 8 and 10. The poultry show opened the livestock barn at 1 p.m., with the Peewee Poultry Show behind it. At 4, 4-H members modeled their sewing and clothing projects in the Fashion Revue in the dance hall. The La Veta Public Library’s calendar listed a 4-H and FFA family barbecue at 5 and the introduction of the 2025–2026 ambassadors at 6:30. The ambassadors’ own schedule put opening ceremonies at 6:45, followed by a Family Fun Night hosted by the La Veta FFA Chapter.

Friday went to the smaller stock and the hogs. The rabbit show began at 8 a.m., the sheep at 2 p.m. after a lunch break, and the goats at 3 after a short intermission. The swine show started at 6:30 in the evening. Each was followed by a peewee class.

Bulls, barrels, and In Range

On Saturday the beef show began at 9 a.m., with the Peewee Beef Show after it. At 12:30 every 4-H and FFA exhibitor reported to the livestock barn for the Round Robin meeting. The finals in showmanship followed, large animals at 1 p.m. and small animals after, with awards handed out in the barn arena. Families collected their indoor exhibits between 2 and 4.

At 3:30 the crowd moved to the rodeo arena for Bulls & Barrels, hosted by Mitchell Rodeo Company. A 4-H gymkhana and mutton busting filled the intermission. Adults paid $10 and children 12 and under $5. Active and veteran military, 4-H and FFA members, and fair board members got in free. From 7 to 11 that night The In Range Band played a free public dance in the dance hall, and donations at the door went to the county 4-H program.

The 2024 fair arranged its days differently. The gymkhana followed the opening-day horse show, with barrels, poles, flags, goat tying, steer daubing, and breakaway, in divisions for riders 8 and under, 9 to 13, and 14 to 18. Saturday evening brought a horseshoe tournament from 5 to 8. The ambassadors announced “a good ol’ fashion barn dance” with In Range from 7 to 10, and Celis Mexican Grill served food through the evening.

Cowboy Church and the sale

The sale is what the ambassadors work toward. Each year three of them, junior, intermediate, and senior, hang flyers in Walsenburg, La Veta, Cuchara, Gardner, and the country around. They also attend a meeting of the county commissioners to invite them in person to the livestock shows, the indoor projects, and the sale. Willa Gripka, Wyatt Faris, and Jaylee Salazar held the posts for 2024–2025. Jaylee Salazar, Wyatt Faris, and Anna Jameson followed for 2025–2026.

In 2025 the last day began at 10 a.m. with Cowboy Church in the rodeo arena, weather permitting. The fair board served lunch from 11:30 to 2. At 2 p.m. the 4-H and FFA Livestock Sale opened in the livestock barn, with an annual dinner for the buyers.

The 2026 fair opened on Wednesday, August 5. That evening the board’s page reported the first day done: “Horse show and poultry show, as well as our fantastic turnout for indoor projects.” On Saturday, August 8, it posted: “SALE DAY is here! The kids have worked so hard. They are all excited to welcome you to the Sale.” In the afternoon a second post followed: “Buyers dinner happening now! Sale starts at 5pm!”

Lapsed after 1924

The fair’s age depends on who is counting. The listing site Cofairs says the fair officially began in 1972 as a five-day event at the La Veta barn and calls the 2025 fair its 53rd anniversary. The ambassadors’ 2024 letter in The World Journal invited readers to “the 87th annual” fair and livestock sale.

The older record runs further back. A Huerfano County Fair was held through 1924 and then lapsed. In January 1930 a team from Walsen camp and Walsenburg practiced for a New Year’s football game at the Walsenburg fairgrounds against an all-star team from La Veta. By August 1933 the county’s farmers were enjoying one of their most prosperous seasons in years. On August 8 of that year the Walsenburg World Independent asked why it was not time to re-institute the county fair. That August, plans were under way at La Veta for the first Huerfano County Fair since 1924.