BOZEMAN — After nearly a two-year hiatus, the Big Sky Country State Fair is a little over a month away, and it’s going to be back better than ever this year. From tripled budgets to newly paved sections of the property, there’s a lot to get excited for.
"We were really disappointed to not be able to have a fair last year," Big Sky Country State Fair marketing coordinator Amanda Harman expressed. "To not be able to give the community that event was a big struggle, but that just gave us an extra year to plan for 2021.”
A hot topic of conversation buzzing around this year’s state fair is the concerts, which will feature Grammy-winning artist Nelly (July 21) and country stars Granger Smith (July 22), and Trace Adkins (July 23).
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“We tripled our entertainment budget, so that means we are bringing in big-name concerts," Hartman explained. "We also added a stage after the concert. There will be your opener, your main stage, and then a local band playing as soon as the concert is done. One night. Three concerts. It’s going to be great.”
The Fairgrounds are also in the process of finishing a pavement project on pathways that get a lot of foot traffic during the State Fair to help enhance the fairgoers' experience.
“Right now we’re in the middle of finishing up, but where the Morrison-Maierle Pardners Corral is - where the kids pedal pull, petting zoo, extreme dogs - that will all be paved this year as well as food row," Hartman added. "Down food row will be paved, so we’re excited for that addition to the fairgrounds.”
With health orders lifted in Gallatin Country, the State Fair is happy to announce they’ve increased their capacity from the previous 50-percent to 100-percent.
“We have six different packages online right now for tickets, and you can save up to 50-percent off some of those packages compared to at the gate," Hartman explained. "On Tuesday at midnight before the fair opens everything goes up to a different price, so buy early and save, and we look forward to having you guys.”
The Big Sky Country State Fair opens its gates on July 21. If you want to get your hands on a ticket package beforehand, just visit 406StateFair.com.