Baca Fair & Rodeo Inc

THROUGH GENEROUS COMMUNITY SUPPORT, A DEDICATED BOARD OF DIRECTORS, AND MANY COMMITTED VOLUNTEERS THE BACA COUNTY FAIR HAS ENJOYED ALMOST TEN YEARS OF CONTINUED GROWTH AND SUCCESS. HOWEVER, IT MUST BE NOTED THAT EACH YEAR REQUIRES MORE EFFORT TO MAKE ENDS MEET. SIXTEEN-POINT-NINE PERCENT (16.9%) OF BACA COUNTY'S POPULATION FALLS BELOW THE POVERTY LEVEL AND TWENTY-TWO-POINT-FOUR PERCENT (22.4%) IS OVER THE AGE OF 65. THE ECONOMY IS DRIVEN BY FARMING AND RANCHING INDUSTRIES. BACA COUNTY FARMING AND RANCHING HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY IMPACTED BY THE DROUGHT THAT HAS PLAGUED OUR STATE. CATTLE NUMBERS ARE DOWN DRASTICALLY, AND GOOD DRY-LAND CROPS OF CORN, WHEAT, AND MILO HAVE NOT BEEN PRODUCED IN YEARS. ALTHOUGH BACA COUNTY COVERS ONE OF THE LARGEST GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS OF ANY OTHER COUNTY IN THE STATE, IT HAS THE LOWEST POPULATION COUNT, WITH ABOUT 1 PERSON PER SQUARE MILE. THE COUNTY POPULATION HAS STEADILY DECLINED SINCE THE 1920S. THE MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME FOR BACA COUNTY IS $32,000, WHEREAS THE AVERAGE MEDIAN INCOME FOR THE STATE OF COLORADO IS $55,000. THE BACA COUNTY FAIR REMAINS AS THE ONE AREA EVENT THAT CREATES COMMUNITY EXCITEMENT AND INVOLVEMENT EACH YEAR. THE NEW EVENTS CENTER WILL PROVIDE THE MEANS TO KEEP THE COMMUNITY EXCITEMENT AND INVOLVEMENT ALIVE YEAR-AROUND, AND ALSO PROVIDE AN ADDED FINANCIAL RESOURCE THROUGH EVENT RENTAL INCOME GAINED FOR COMMUNITY USE OF THE BUILDING. IT IS BELIEVED THAT WITH A STRONG COUNTY FAIR AND YEAR-AROUND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN FAIRGROUND ACTIVITIES, THERE IS POTENTIAL TO ATTRACT NEW FAMILIES TO THE COMMUNITY AND PERHAPS STEM THE POPULATION DECLINE. THE ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO MAKE THE BACA COUNTY FAIR SELF-SUFFICIENT SO THAT CONTINUED EMPHASIS CAN BE FOCUSED ON EDUCATING OUR YOUTH, PROVIDING AN EXCELLENT GATHERING PLACE, AND BECOMING A VITAL COMMUNITY RESOURCE.