ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The New Mexico State Fair has gone through many changes over the years. The first fair in New Mexico was a territorial fair in 1881.
The first time it would be referred to as a “state” fair wouldn’t be until 1911, one year before New Mexico would officially become a state. “But the governor decided, ‘we need to have a state fair, we’re going to be a state sometime, so let’s have a state fair,'” said Rodger Beimer, a New Mexico State Fair historian.
Prior to 1938, the New Mexico State Fair was held in the area of Rio Grande Blvd. and Central Ave. “East Albuquerque didn’t exist, I mean, the University of New Mexico was way out of town. The fairgrounds ended up being further out of town than that,” said Beimer.
In the mid-1930s, New Mexico Governor Clyde Tingley spearheaded a movement in the legislature to make the statute that established the New Mexico State Fair Commission. “Then he said, ‘Well if we got a State Fair Commission, we better have someplace to have a fair,'” Beimer said.
So in 1936, local business owners, joined by the Chamber of Commerce and some bankers said they would put up some money if the state could do the same. “The City of Albuquerque and the state came up with $10,000, and in 1937, they bought 181 acres of land, which is now where the State Fair is,” said Beimer. In 1938, the first State Fair at the location where it is currently held took place.
The racetrack grandstand was built along with the original buildings at the fairgrounds. “There was horse racing and that’s where all the carnival acts and the concerts and things like that happened,” said Beimer. “Rodeo was held in front of the grandstand outside where the racetrack is now.”
Below are a few photos from the New Mexico State Fair over the years:
In 1957, the Tingley Coliseum opened as the State Fair Coliseum. Roy Rogers and Dale Evans and the Sons of the Pioneers was the first act to perform there and did a show once a night for a week to mark the occasion.
One of the greatest traditions the State Fair has is the State Fair Queen, which began in the early 1950s, according to Beimer. “Every year, including this year, candidates from throughout the state, nominated by representing county fairs or county rodeos….can be nominated and can participate in the selection of a State Fair Rodeo Queen,” said Beimer.
The queen gets selected on the second to the last day of the rodeo. The queen then reigns over the next year’s events. “The reason for that is the queen then – throughout the winter and the springtime, as an ambassador for the New Mexico State Fair – gets to travel the state at the expense of the fair so she can go promote the fair and get people involved,” said Beimer.
The New Mexico State Fair starts September 5 and runs through September 15.
