Anticipation comes with fair's return

Wyoming’s Big Show is back and people are excited.

“Anticipation is great,” according to Kandi Pendleton, Marketing and Events Manager at the Sweetwater Events Complex. “I think everyone is excited about being ‘back to normal.’” 

Pendleton noted that she hasn’t heard any negative feedback about this year’s fair, and she believes people are looking forward to the chance to do things they’ve been missing, see people they haven’t seen, and enjoy events with bigger groups again. 

The fair was scaled down to only a few 4-H and FFA events last summer due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, Wyoming’s Big Show is back to the way it used to be. 

After having to reevaluate things due to the pandemic, Pendleton said the Events Complex made some adjustments that probably needed to be made anyway. This includes changes to the fair’s layout and changes with food and drink vendors. Pendleton noted that the Events Complex makes adjustments every year. 

“We just continually try to make it better and better,” Pendleton said. 

Wyoming’s Big Show also regularly adds new features and entertainment. 

This year, Pendleton is excited about the entertainment options for children, including birds, reptiles, the petting zoo, and a new interactive and educational science display.

Other new features this year are the three-day cornhole tournament and Flashback Friday. 

Preparing for this year’s fair was a challenge, especially after the Escapee RV Rally at the Events Complex ended on July 23, leaving only a week to switch everything. But according to Pendleton the staff is used to it. 

“Honestly it’s sort of how we do business,” Pendleton said. She noted that summers in Wyoming are short, so the Events Complex usually has to go from hosting one event to another without much time. 

Switching from the RV rally to the fair required changing a tent with a stage and seating for 1,200 people into a space for vendor booths, changing another tent to be ready to house the cornhole tournament and kids’ activities, cleaning out and preparing the exhibit hall, and switching from the campground having 700 RVs to being clean and ready to welcome locals and visitors. 

“Everybody puts in extra time and gets it done,” Pendleton said, praising the Events Complex staff for their hard work. 

Pendleton hopes the community will come out and enjoy Wyoming’s Big Show. She encouraged anyone who hasn’t been for a few years to come and give the fair another chance. She also noted that people should feel free to spend the whole day at the fair, to bring their chairs and camp out to get a good spot for the concerts or to just enjoy spending time enjoying the different attractions throughout the day.

“I hope everybody realizes that the fair has something literally for everyone,” Pendleton said.