There’s something for everyone at the second annual Denver County Fair, August 10-12, at the National Western Complex.

You know something special’s going on when county fairs around the country call Denver to find out how to bring their events into the 21st century.

That’s what’s happening with the Denver County Fair.

This one-of-a-kind county fair is a little bit urban, a little bit country and a lot of everything else. Plan on more than 275 events on 13 stages in 3 days!

Just think…a fair that’s entirely indoors, carnival and all. In addition to all of the pavilions the fair featured last year, a Geek Pavilion will be part of the fun at this year’s event.

Other new offerings at the fair include more local food vendors, a food truck roundup, a Colorado Beer Garden, more live competitions, a Freak Show featuring the Enigma, and a Zombie Dance party.

Prize-winning beets like these were just part of fun at the first-ever Denver County Fair held July 28-31 at the National Western Complex.

I hope you were able to get to the Denver County Fair last weekend, because it really was something special. It’s taken me a couple of days to recover from having so much fun.

At the Plant a Row for the Hungry booth, volunteers Jill and Jim Cruickshank, Elizabeth Staton, Cally Hennig, John Pendleton, and I talked with hundreds of wonderful folks about the growing and giving program.

I was heartened to hear many gardeners already knew about the program or were glad to learn about it and promised their support.

We handed out more than 500 Plant a Row fliers, 700 Zone 4 magazines, almost 300 packets of Osmocote, and hundreds of packets of seeds donated by BBB Seeds, Botanical Interests and Lake Valley Seed.

I made a few new friends at the press luncheon for the Denver County Fair, including Denverite Sundari Kraft and her adorable feather-footed Brahma chicken.

The Denver County Fair is less than two weeks away (July 28-31) and the excitement is building. There has never been a county fair like this one!

Picture a traditional county fair, add some urban roots, sprinkle in a little Dana Cain magic and Tracy Weil marketing, and Denver is in for a wild time.

Square dancers will mingle with speed-texters; chickens with jackalopes; bunnies with cats. There will be sewing and knitting competitions, traditional food competition categories, and a cheeseburger cook-off.

There’s a carnival, freak show, and 10 different pavilions with entertainment and vendors. Dana says there are only a few of the 300 vendor and exhibitor booths still available. All of the events are at the National Western complex.

Denverites will get the chance to show off their prize-winning produce in July at Denver’s very first County Fair.

I know it’s hard to believe, but there’s never been a Denver County Fair. That’s why WesternGardeners.com jumped at the chance to be a sponsor for this summer’s event, set for July 28th – 31st at the National Western Complex Expo Hall and Hall of Education.

The fair organizers, Dana Cain and Tracy Weil, are creating the fair from scratch. They’re excited at the prospect of inventing a fair that reflects what’s happening in Denver County right now.

“We’re not tied to doing things the way they’ve always been done, because the fact is, they’ve never been done,” says Dana.

Dana and Tracy are both heavily involved in Denver’s creative community: Dana  is known for her work as an event planner and Tracy is a marketing and branding expert. They plan to use the Denver County Fair to showcase Denver’s talent and creative spirit.