On Saturday, July 24, 2021, Gilpin County will host an “Old-Fashioned Fair” in the Gilpin County Fairgrounds. The fair will be organized by the Gilpin County Animal Response Team (GCART) in collaboration with the Gilpin Archwood 4-H youth club and the Friends of Gilpin County Community Center (FGCCC).

The fair will include activities such as mutton busting, a log-splitting contest, an obstacle course, truck rides, carriage rides, face painting and a pancake breakfast hosted by the High Country Auxiliary.

The “old-fashioned” theme was chosen to accommodate for COVID restrictions. Also with the lack of a fair coordinator and other staff and volunteers it made sense to scale the fair down to a format similar to how it looked when it first started in 1993.

There will be a special dedication held to rename the outdoor arena the Allen Memorial Arena, in honor of late firefighters Shelby and Cody Allen. There will also be a stargazing event hosted by FGCCC and sponsored by United Power.

The official regulations passed by Gilpin County to accommodate for COVID-19 are that masks are not required for those who are outside and social distancing, but they are required for those that are inside or talking closely with others who are not a part of the same household.

Accommodating for COVID has also resulted in a decrease in staff and volunteers, but that doesn’t mean there will not be plenty of vendors ready and available for the day. More than 35 vendors have signed up for the fair, including Armstrong Concessions, Excel Energy and the Central City Fire Department (who are partnering up with Timberline to give away free carbonmonoxide detection setups), Clinica Family Health, FGCCC, Gilpin County Human Services, Gilpin County Library, Homestead Farmers Market, and JKQ BBQ (the food vendor and mutton busting sponsor).

Gilpin County Parks and Rec director Gabrielle Chisholm is excited to attend the entire event this year, as previous fairs have been held over a period of three days and outside commitments have prevented her from being able to attend every day.

This year’s event promises to be an exciting gathering of families and community members from around Gilpin and the Peak to Peak area, with plenty of activities and vendors to keep everyone engaged for a fourteen-hour day of fun.

Special thanks to Norma Jones and Larry Sterling of GCART and Crystal Meyer and Heather Zeckler of the Archwood 4A Club for helping to coordinate the fair.

The event will be held at The Gilpin County Fairgrounds, 230 Norton Drive, Black Hawk, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on July 24. The dedication of the Allen Memorial Arena will start at 10 a.m., and the stargazing event will occur from 8-11 p.m.