Vanilla Ice, a Strongman, and Pet Rocks Take Over Pueblo Aug. 28

Vanilla Ice is playing the Colorado State Fair this year. Let that sit for a second.

So is a guy named Mighty Mike who bends metal and rips phone books in half, every single day, for anybody who wanders by. And somewhere between those two things, there is a competition where grown adults design pet rocks and get judged on it.

This is Pueblo in late August, and it is the biggest party the state throws all year.

Here is the deal. The 154th Colorado State Fair runs 11 days, Friday, Aug. 28 through Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 7, at the fairgrounds, 1001 Beulah Ave. down in Pueblo. That is a real drive from Denver, roughly two hours south on I-25. Worth it, and I will tell you why.

Why the theme actually matters this year

They are calling this one "Fairitage." Sounds like a made-up word because it is, but the reason behind it is legit. This year marks the country's 250th birthday and Colorado's 150th year of statehood. And the fair itself has been running since Oct. 9, 1872. That is older than the state. Colorado did not officially become a state until 1876, so the fair predates the whole thing by four years.

Most people do not realize how old this tradition really is. It has outlasted governors, feuds, and roughly a dozen different definitions of what counts as entertainment.

The lineup is stacked

Let me get to the music, because this is where it gets fun.

Jordan Davis headlines the Southwest Motors Events Center on Friday, Sept. 4. Around him you have got Dylan Scott, Ian Munsick, Neal McCoy, and then the Beach Boys, who at this point could probably play "Kokomo" in their sleep. The Fray shows up with Rome, which is a nice hometown-adjacent pull. Banda Machos brings the party. And then, yes, the "I Love the 90s" tour rolls in with Vanilla Ice, which honestly might be the most Colorado State Fair thing that has ever happened.

Keep in mind the concerts and arena events are ticketed separately from your gate admission. So budget for that if there is a show you want.

The fair opens loud too. Three straight nights of PRCA Pro Rodeo in the Big R Arena on Aug. 28, 29 and 30, plus a monster truck show and a demolition derby. That is the opening weekend. They are not easing you in.

The gloriously weird stuff

This is the part people miss when they only look at the headliners.

The general-entry competitions are where the fair shows its real personality. Tablescaping. Crocheted creations. And the pet rock designs, which I keep coming back to because I love that it is a real category with real judges.

Then there is Mighty Mike the Strongman doing his thing daily. Bending metal, shredding phone books, the whole bit.

And for families, the Colorado Proud Trail teaches kids about the stuff that actually makes this state great to eat. Rocky Ford melons. Palisade peaches. Olathe sweet corn. Pueblo green chiles, which if you have ever had a Pueblo slopper, you already understand. This is agriculture country, and the fair leans all the way into it. Around 400 exhibitors and roughly 54 food booths, so come hungry.

The money part, because it is affordable

Gate admission is