The Utah State Fair offers classic carnival rides like the ferris wheel, as well as local bands, food and flocks of attendees who throw themselves into the heart of the madness. The Utah State Fair concludes on Sept 18th. Photos by DeVontae Bendinger-Moore
The Utah State Fair happens around Labor Day weekend each year, offering local bands, food, rides and flocks of attendees who throw themselves into the heart of the madness.
The crowds get the art of entertainment in the form of rides, magicians, food, music and entertainers. The community of fairgoers is a diverse group—something the fair’s organizers are attempting to tap into this year, according to Jeff Kooring, Utah State Park’s media specialist.
“The fair is all about the community,” Kooring said. “We plan activities for the kids of the community as well as the varying ethnicities within the community.”
The goal is to provide different community members with an activity to tailor to their culture, Kooring said—something Wai Goh, a Westminster junior, said the fair accomplished.
“I felt there was a huge effort to include diverse art and culture aspect,” Goh said. “I thought there was something for everyone of all ages and all different backgrounds. That definitely made it a place that welcomed anyone and everyone.”
The focus on incorporating diversity into the fair doesn’t stop with art but extends also to entertainment, Kooring said.
The Utah State Fair offers entertainment in the form of rides, magicians, food, music and entertainers. “I would say it was probably the best $10 that you could spend in Utah for the quality and diversity of entertainment and art and exhibition that was at the fair,” said Westminster junior Wai Goh.
“We had a Latin performer come in on Sunday and do traditional Latin dancing,” he said. “We have three stages for performing and rotate the acts on the different stages.”
The state fair is steadily expanding its reach to the Latin community, Kooring said.
“We broadcast out to the community by mainstream radio and a couple Latina stations,” he said. “Those stations are Telemundo and Mi Preferida.”
Goh said the state fair is a good way for Westminster students to find entertainment and appreciate diversity on a budget.
“It was very, very reasonably priced,” Goh said. “I would say it was probably the best $10 that you could spend in Utah for the quality and diversity of entertainment and art and exhibition that was at the fair. It makes it very accessible and affordable for anyone, including students.”
The Utah State Fair concludes on Sept 18th.
