State Fair a Great Venue for some Utah Businesses and a Melting Pot of many Cultures

Long-time vendors, attendees and organizers of the Utah State Fair say the fair remains a well-attended event and a relevant venue today for Utah-owned businesses trying to get their names in the public eye.

Far away from the food realm, Clay Zimmerman said the fair serves as the only advertising of the year for his business, High Uinta Pack Goats.

Utah State Fair executive director Clark Caras said the fair attracted 292,000 people over 11 days in 2011, and he hoped the number might surpass 300,000 in 2012. He characterized the state of the event as strong. It has finished "in the black," he said, every year in recent memory. He also pointed to the fair's ability to land acts like impersonator Frank Caliendo, Lonestar and Blues Traveler.

Caras said the fair and the 65-acre park that houses it are working to solidify and shape their future. A report recommending best use of the grounds is expected back in the next six weeks.

He expressed optimism and hope that the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food may choose to locate a new headquarters on the ground. He also said the hope would be those plans might include a center where people of various ages could learn about the state's agricultural heritage.

Department of Agriculture and Food spokesman Larry Lewis confirmed the department was desperately in need of a new building and it was on a state priority list. However, he characterized any discussions about the department's future headquarters only as "talks" and said the fair park was just one of a number of possible sites for the building.

Lewis also said it was unclear when in the future the state may green-light the project.

Neighbors who live around the fair park expressed their hopes that the site would thrive in the future. Rick Clark said he gets a yearly boost by allowing people to park in his yard for a fee. KSL

And with Latinos now making up more than 13 percent of Utah’s population, what better place to showcase their culture than the Utah State Fair?

That’s the goal of the Utah State Fair Corp. and Fiesta Mexicana Inc., which are teaming up for the third year to make the annual event more appealing to the state’s fast-growing Latino population. The fair begins Thursday, Sept. 6, and runs through Sept. 16.

"This is where we celebrate our heritage. And Latinos have such an amazing part in Utah history," said Utah State Fair park Executive Director Clark Caras, beginning with the 1776 explorations of the state by two Spanish Catholic priests, Fathers Escalante and Dominguez.

While Sept. 15 will be the big day, the emphasis on Latino culture will be evident from day one of the fair when photographs by Agustín Victor Casasola go on display. Salt Lake Tribune