“County fairs are not gotten up for financial gain. They never pay for the cost of running them, but they do pay big dividends in educating people to the vast amount of the good they accomplish.”
— The Meeker Herald, Aug. 20, 1921
RBC | Rio Blanco County’s first official county fair opened Aug. 25, 1921, but the idea had been taking shape since shortly after the end of World War I.
In June 1919, Meeker’s Commercial Club began discussing plans for a county fair and horse racing association — a community “get together in the fall.” By the summer of 1920, J.N. Wyman had offered a 20-acre parcel on the northeast side of Meeker, where a racetrack and grandstands were built.
An unofficial two-day gathering held that August featured horse races, baseball games against the Duchesne Indians and live band music. Its success led to the first full-fledged Rio Blanco County Fair the following year.
The 1921 fair added livestock, agricultural and household exhibits, with classes ranging from beef cattle, swine, poultry and farm products to watercolor paintings, bungalow aprons, mechanical work and the “handsomest boudoir cap.”
Rodeo events included roping, hurdle and high-jump competitions and cow horse racing. Each day also featured a float parade and community dinner.
One of the most heavily promoted attractions was an hour-and-a-half wrestling match between Nebraska champion Ernest Glover and Piceance Creek’s Harlan Dudley. The match ended in a draw, prompting a rematch the following weekend at Rifle’s Apple Pie Days.
Despite soggy weather leading up to the event, several hundred people packed the grandstands and surrounding grounds. The fair was declared a “fast and endearing success.”
In 1926, county commissioners formally assumed responsibility for the fairgrounds and the event, taking on $10,321.36 in land-purchase debt. The property eventually became a county asset, and the Fair Board has operated under the Rio Blanco County Board of County Commissioners ever since.
FAIR BOOK HONORS IRIS FRANKLIN
The 2026 Rio Blanco County Fair Book is dedicated to longtime educator, 4-H leader and rancher Iris Franklin in recognition of her lifelong commitment to agriculture and the county’s young people.
Franklin moved to Meeker after graduating from Colorado State University in 1964 and began her career as Rio Blanco County’s home extension agent. She later spent decades volunteering with 4-H, particularly in sewing and indoor projects, and taught at Meeker High School for 20 years.
Her classes included foods, sewing, financial literacy, family living and survival skills — practical lessons the Fair Board said prepared generations of students for adulthood.
Franklin and her husband also raised registered Hereford cattle on their family ranch. The Fair Board described her years of education, leadership and “quiet service” as an example of the values celebrated by the county fair.
COME ON OUT TO THE COUNTY FAIR
More than a century later, the Rio Blanco County Fair continues to bring the community together while showcasing the work, skills and accomplishments of local residents of all ages.
Thursday’s public events include the talent show at 1 p.m., Sheep Lead Contest at 3 p.m. and sheep show at 5 p.m. The exhibit halls will be open for public viewing from 6-9 p.m.
Friday offers a full day of activities. The exhibit halls will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., with the Cloverbud Show & Tell at 9:30 a.m., Pet Rock and Rock Rolling Contest at 10 a.m., Rabbit Chase at 10:30 a.m. and the Meeker FFA-hosted Lil’ Buckaroo Rodeo at 11 a.m. The Hay Bale Toss begins at 4 p.m., followed by the beef show at 5 p.m.
Saturday’s Large Animal Round Robin begins at 9 a.m. The exhibit halls will be open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., followed by presale awards at 12:30 p.m. and the 4-H/FFA Junior Livestock Sale at 1 p.m.
Those who cannot attend in person can watch Herald Times livestream coverage at theheraldtimes.com/rio-blanco-county-fair.
The complete schedule and 2026 Fair Book are available through the Rio Blanco County website. The schedule is subject to change.
Special thanks to Karen Arnold for her contributions to this article!
Bonnie Coryell and longtime Rio Blanco County Fair public address announcer Ed Coryell watch the 4-H Horse Show from the grandstands Saturday, July 25, at the Rio Blanco County Fairgrounds in Meeker. Coryell, who retired from the Rio Blanco County Fair Board following the 2024 fair after 48 years of service, remains a familiar voice at the annual event. JARED HENDERSON PHOTO