Nevada's State Fair has been a tradition for more than one hundred years. While it draws a lot of people into our community, operating costs can be overwhelming. Friday night, the Nevada State Fair Board of Directors invited the public to a fundraising banquet to help defray those costs, and spread the word about a new theme for the fair.

This year the fair becomes the “Nevada Territory Wild West Fair” celebrating the history and heritage of the Silver State. At Friday’s “Wild West Chuck Wagon Feast” participants were served up big helpings of crab legs, rosemary chicken, and Tri-tip BBQ. They also got a small taste of what this year’s fair will bring. Gun slingers, barbershop singers, and cowboy poets entertained as hundreds of diners took in Wild West exhibits and bid on auction items.

Organizers say, while most people think the fair is a Washoe county event; they hope to get small communities from all over the state to participate. Executive Director, Rich Crombie says the group is starting a grassroots campaign to encourage small towns and cities from across the state to be part of this year’s fair. He says many Americans are fascinated by the State’s western heritage, and he hopes the new theme will draw in crowds that have overlooked the fair in the past.