Arizona Exposition & State Fair

Yes, the fair is held in the most rundown location possible. For what is being charged in admission, rides and food, some of that money should be going into fixing such a dump. But my beef is with the culinary competition, so my two stars are referring to the people who are in charge of that.
I’ve been entering the competition for nearly ten years and winning ribbons. You send in a fee per entry, spend weeks or even months perfecting recipes, spend money on ingredients and carriers to deliver the entries, take an hour driving them over– and then the people in charge put someone else’s name on your prize winning cake. I found my cake in the case with a blue ribbon on it and someone else’s name on it. So I asked to have the problem fixed, while another competitor waited to speak to someone because there was a blue ribbon sitting between her entry and another, so it was impossible to tell who had won.
The fact that I had a picture of the full cake on my phone and the culinary volunteer agreed it was the cake on display didn’t solve it. Talking to the Culinary Coordinator Danielle Philips, who said she was aware of mess-​ups with the entries and blamed her staff, then said she going right over to the display to fix it, and promised I would receive my blue ribbon, didn’t change it. Speaking to the fair coordinator a week later didn’t change it. I attended the fair multiple times and the wrong name remained in place. I never received the ribbon, and I won’t bother entering the competition this year if Danielle Philips is in charge again.

The State Fair is definitely subpar compared to the Texas State Fair. Also, it doesn’t seem like it’s in the greatest part of the neighborhood so we never come here at night. Our trips always during the day and we leave before it gets dark. The rides seem like they aren’t going to hold up well and I’ve seen exposed wires which should’ve been taped down or something. Plus, it was raining. It was hard telling my kid no when she saw the rides still going on but I had to make a command decision!

This was my first time ever going to a state fair, so my preconceived notions were limited to carnival-​like food and games. I had no expectations beyond that.
I researched before going and discovered that they offer several money-​saving ways to enjoy the fair; all details can be found on their website. We decided to go on a Saturday morning, when you get $ 2 entry if you arrive prior to noon, and there is free parking at the state Capitol. (I saw signs for parking charging up to $ 20. Although the fair only charged like $ 10.) There were comfy coaches waiting to take us from the Capitol to the fair, and there were fair workers on site at the Capitol parking lot to assist.
Once inside the fair, I was initially overwhelmed. It was a much bigger affair than what I had imagined. Food vendors by the tons, merchants galore, and some really cool rides. We decided to ride first and eat later.
Rides.
They had some pretty neat rides, for a fair. Mini-​roller coasters, a huge slide (my fav!), bumper cars, a water log ride, the tower, and lots of spinning rides. Lots. I had mucho fun on the all rides except the one with Poseidon in the front. I was no good after that ride (lots of hard spinning, and you have no control over yourself. If you’re with a child, make sure they sit on the inside –to your right, so the force doesn’t cause you to crush them). There is an area with rides strictly for little ones, just like at an amusement park.
Aside from the rides, they had attractions such as bungee jumping. We watched from below as brave ladies took on that dare. Everyone survived. Good times. Oh, and avoid any rides that go through doors, like the zombie «house», etc. It’s literally a room and it lasts all of 5 seconds. Don’t waste your tickets.
FOOD.
For those who don’t know me, I must prelude the food section by saying that I am vegan. That being said, my food experience is limited. I had eaten before coming because I assumed there’d be nothing but junk food. I was right, for the most part, however, I did see someone selling a veggie burger. I pigged out on garlic fries (ask them to hold the Parmesan cheese if you’re vegan or lactose intolerant), soft pretzels sans butter, Icees, shaved ice, candy apples, fried Oreos (Yes, Oreos are naturally vegan.), and Dole Whip. The stand which sold the Dole Whip also had Butter Beer! It’s not vegan, but as a HP fan, it was pretty freggin cool to see! I do not know about cross-​contamination and all that, so if you’re THAT kind of vegan, just steer clear. Also, there were racks and racks of animal flesh, mainly by the turkey leg stands. I’m THAT type of vegan, so I had to shuffle swiftly to keep from getting sick from the smell and sights.

Live Animals.
Speaking of getting sick, near the kiddie rides, I smelled something and when I went to inspect I stumbled upon barns with lots and lots of farm animals, some of which were being sold. It was heartbreaking: the conditions, the looks of fear and sadness on the cows, chickens, and piglets, the latter of whom were all snuggled up together — shaking. And they labeled the pigs, «swine.» That entire spectacle ruined my whole fair experience. I was later informed that this is what fairs are about. Really? I had NO idea. It was too much for me and my DD, who told me that she’d never go vegan, but after seeing that she has since changed her stance.
Games.
After the depression partially subsided, we played more games to release some anger. Just like carnivals, the games are designed for you to lose, so take heed. I spent way too much money trying to win a big wolf and a unicorn. Nonetheless, we did have fun and that’s what matters most.
Tickets.
All rides and games required tickets.
We started with 50 tickets, thinking that would be enough for the day. HAHA After being bamboozled at the first attraction, which gobbled 14 tickets from us for 14 seconds of «WTF was that?», followed by the next ride, which was actually really fun, we were out of tickets! Between the rides and the games, this continued all night. $ 325 later (in just tickets; not including the food), for just 2 of us; we could’ve gone to Disneyland. They offer deals on the rides, food, and games on certain days. That is the best deal for anyone who’s really into the games and rides.
Excluding the animal incident, we had a 4-​star good time. The girls and I got henna tattoos, did some shopping at the Zion booth (where they sold Bob Marley everything), rode and ate until we were ready to pop and drop. The lines for food and rides were long, but went quickly. It’s pricey, so be prepared to spend or come with the mindset of how much you’re willing to spend and stick to it, no matter how much you want to claim that prize. As an animal lover, it was a 0 star experience. If that barn had been in the front, I would’ve done an about-​face and saved myself hundreds of dollars that day. Sadly, unless they nix the animal abuse, I cannot support this event in the future.

I know… I know. 4 stars too high? Four stars too low? So here’s the deal… My kids like kill to go to the fair. Wether it’s the rides, the SnoCones, the turkey legs, the funnels cake (you won’t believe this but it’s the first time I’ve really given it a try and I was sold… I thought it would be heavy and old chewing tasting and I was totally wrong! LOL), or whatever but the attraction is definitely there don’t get me wrong, until we had to come to the fair to perform, there were definitely years that we didn’t go. It is expensive and there are a lot of people there that you judge but then you walk by a big mirror and see yourself right there with them. So yeah… We had fun this year!

Holy cow has the fair gotten expensive. I took three kids, my partner and of course me. In total we spent over $ 400 because the rides were ridiculously expensive.
The coupon book is a joke. In order to get any value in it you have to spend even more money on junk you don’t even want. The only items that came in handy were the one game get one for free and even then not all the games participated.
The fair food was great but $ 20 for a turkey leg wrapped in cheap bacon was a bit overboard.
I don’t think I will go back. It’s a better deal to drive to Cali for their amusement parks.

No, No, No, and NO.
I went here when I was a kid and back then it was disgusting and crumby, time travel 20 years and it’s even worse. I can’t understand for the life of me why they still hold a gigantic state fair in the most seedy nasty area possible… the coliseum and fair grounds are just hideous and falling apart, it’s dismal. Seriously, it is time to move this thing somewhere civilized. It’s in the middle of hellhole west phoenix, the traffic stinks, the parking stinks, the people are sketch, and it’s just not good, it is not ideal. Enough of this coliseum west phoenix stuff already! Families shouldn’t have to worry about their car getting keyed or a bum asking them for money while they go to a state fair. Move this thing to mesa, gilbert, peoria, somewhere not falling apart and inhabited by zombies.
Biggest problems: riff raff. There I said it, riff raff people. It’s the west side so what do you expect? Trailer trash with mullets, wannabe gangbangers with tear drop tattoos and high socks, creepy bikers and old hillbillies, and in the middle are just normal people trying to breath air without cigarette smoke and chew tobacco on the ground. The people ruin it for me, I can’t help it, they’re just gross and ignorant and rude and it feels like being in a ghetto, a ghetto with cotton candy and french fry aroma.
They do bear shows and animal shows which are cruel, anyone with a brain knows that a bear doesn’t jump on a ball because it likes it, it’s because it’s beaten into submission to do it. I wouldn’t go near that exhibit and wanted to leave right then and there if wasn’t for my company. Monkeys, bears, and wild animals don’t belong in a cage in west phoenix performing tricks for uneducated fried dough eaters.
Terrible really, this place is just shameful how dirty, nasty, decrepit, and unappealing it is… A fair should be vibrant, fun, safe, and friendly for everyone, not a breeding ground of smoking, chew spitting, creepy riff faff.
If you must go, bring some purel… nothing like nose picking, sneezing, butt scratching fingers touching all the game surfaces.

Oh, how do I rate the AZ State Fair?
Shall I embrace the exposition of a well-​placed moose knuckle? The father who calls his toddler son a «dick wad»? The obstinate fair attendees who stop moving in the middle of the path? The capricious child whose pleas to go on a ride are quashed once its his turn?
It’s all this an more that make the state fair an experience to remember. Truthfully, going this year with a friend and their child made it a far more entertaining experience. If you have a skittish friend, like I do, avoid standing for long periods of time around popping balloons. We adults didn’t partake in any rides, nor did we attend any concerts while here. But it was still a good time, had by all.

Returned to the fair this year. We were smart this time and brought our camelpaks so we could stay hydrated and not have to spend a lot of money on drinks. The day we went it was overcast and breezy most of the day but the sun came out periodically. We were prepared and wore sunscreen. It was Saturday so we were able to take the free shuttle from the capitol and it was before 2pm so admission was only $ 2. Good deal.
We ate our way around the fairgrounds. Started simple with a Dodger Dog: a long/​skinny hot dog with ketchup, mustard, relish. Nothing special but good for an appetizer. Then we got a frybread with beans, chili meat, and cheese. It was so good! Really enjoyed that. I had never tried a deep fried Twinkie before so we got one of those in sundae form. It was difficult to eat the way they cut the Twinkie in half and stacked it in a plastic cup. Not easy to cut through with a plastic spoon while standing. It was OK. Tasted like a donut. I think deep fried Oreos are probably better. Then we got Cowboy Fries: fries with BBQ tri-​tip and cheese (and a Coke). They were delicious! Probably my favorite thing we had there. Then we finished off with the Minneapple Pie with vanilla ice cream. Very yummy. We spent $ 50.50 in food & drink for the two of us.
Didn’t do any rides or games this time, but we enjoyed seeing the kangaroo at the petting zoo (my b/​f refers to him as Rosco) and clocked about 7 miles on Map My Hike in about 4.5 hrs. It was a pretty good day!

First time back in three years and not much has changed or was new. It does seem the fair is skewed to have a majority of bigger events on weekends only. Literally, the only things to do besides the usual on a Wednesday afternoon was a 2^nd rate lounge act with a hypnotist and a show that had a bear doing some tricks. The bear wasn’t even from the USA and it got boring after 15 minutes. Psst. its ok to use the grandstand during the week. This is not the biggest or best State fair, so you just have to enjoy what they offer.
The food just depends on what you happen to pick and which booth you get that food from. Our green chili chicken fry bread and burgers from Stuffies were unpleasant. The deep fried pecan pie was also a fail because they only deep fried the filling. Once you make a few bad choices of food, eating more junk just seems like too much a crapshoot. The best item was the $ 2.50 zucchini on a stick and the soft cream cone.
RIDES — the two haunted house rides were comically bad, but the two roller coasters and drop tower ride were all fun. On Wednesday they were all $ 2 each and paying anymore than that would have been disappointing.
CONCERT — It was tough to find how to get upstairs, but Rick Springfield was a good show.
Other Fun things to catch:
The Jellybean exhibit is classic and a good time and the candy display might be interesting for certain people. Park for $ 5 down at church and use admission discounts.

It is time for a change. I took my family to the State Fair on 10÷25÷15 during the daytime to avoid the riff raff that comes out at night. It happened to be a discount day which was nice. 4 non-​perishable items gets you in for free. Plus it was 2 dollar rides and games day. Well most rides and most games at least. Most games are 2 bucks on any given day so that wasn’t a huge plus but the 2 dollar rides was a bonus.
We had a good time and tried some fun food and rode some okay rides. The best was the Minneapple Apple Pie with cinnamon ice cream. My son loved the kid rides and had a blast going on them and playing water games. The weather was beautiful out and being able to bring in our own water and snacks was a huge plus.
Unfortunately, there was a lot of downers that spoiled some of the fun. Many of the rides were cut short. I’m not sure if they are just short on the regular of if they were shortened due to the discount day. But either way a lot of them weren’t worth it.
The animal barn which is usually a great exhibit was full of birds and not animals. Usually there are tons of different animals and rabbits and what not. This time it was just boring plain old birds. It could have just been the day we went on.
The vendors are probably the worst part of the fair and getting worse by the year. There are people selling all kinds of junk. Cheap cell phone cases. Cheap toys. Just real swap meet bottom barrel type junk. There were several booths selling unauthorized NFL merchandise. From NFL team signs to cheap ponchos, shirts, and hats. These were all plain and out in the open. I took some pictures and sent them to the NFL. This is illegal and obviously sanctioned by the state fair by how blatant it was being done.
The worst part about the fair was the location and crowd. The parking lot is a wreck as are the bathrooms and building structures. It is time to let the Coliseum go AZ. They should move the fair to a better area and better facility. As a native I have many great memories of the Coliseum but this was not one of them. The crowd was filled with typical trailer trash chain smoking type. That’s all part of the experience but it would be nice to eat some Poutine fries without giving my kid second hand smoke.
How about a little common sense here? Maybe set up some smoking areas? Or making the food areas and childrens section smoke free?
All in all the vendors, location, and crowd made it a cheap and ghetto experience for me. It was almost like a swap meet with rides and junk food.
There are many questions: Maybe they are catering to the crowd? Maybe they are drawing in a certain type of crowd with the direction they are going in? Maybe it is time for AZ to have another fair in a better area that focuses on family fun?
One thing is for sure. It is definitely time for a change.

This was my first time at the AZ State Fair and I had a blast!
I recommend coming on a Thursday or Sunday (?) cause I believe those are the two days that you can get an unlimited ride wristband for 30 dollars. (Its definitely worth it!)
There were a ton of great shows, from the Bird show (I got to hold a parrot!) to the Hypnosis show (my fiancé was selected) lol everything was entertaining. There were a TON of food options at typical fair prices 5 – 15 dollars on average. We tried the deep fried cheeseburger and deep friend mac and cheese (yum!). As for adult beverages there were a lot of options for craft beer, each stand was different which was great. They also offered things like Sangria and Margaritas.
I feel like we bounced around the park all day, we even shot some live zombie actors with paintball guns. and saw Sheryl Crow in concert… she was amazing!
I took the bus to this location to avoid having to pay for parking so Im not sure how much that cost/​inconvenience it was.
I will definitely be back next year!

My review will focus on the Arizona State Fair, as I attended many events at this large fairgrounds: Maricopa County Fair, dog shows/​adoptions, concerts @ coliseum, book sale, DeafNation, so forth (all with positive experiences). I have attended the State Fair over the years with free admission and will be reviewing mainly this year’s attendance…
I went to the State Fair last Thursday on the 22^nd and took advantage of their free admission between 12 – 1, which saved me $ 10 (not counting discounts offered on other days), as well as avoiding weekend crowds. I walked around and looked at various exhibits, mingled with livestock, purchased a couple fair souvenirs (postcards, pennants, photo taken w/​fair logo over the years), and ate a typical fair snack (funnel cake). I don’t go on rides so I won’t be reviewing it. I love photography so I took quality photos all over the grounds, just a little of most of day, evening, and night ones. There’s lots to see, but I didn’t expect much knowing it’s Arizona. Just do a price comparison because it’s not your typical fair prices so make sure to watch your spending. Downstairs inside the coliseum used to have various vendors either to educate or sell something; nowadays, it’s just one big themed exhibition that they change annually. This year featured Vintage Sweets sponsored by Sears, showcasing various famous candies, gums, etc.: Wrigley’s, how caramel’s made, as well as selling various sweets (Jelly Belly, lollies,…). Exhibit halls featured displays & the winning ribbons: food, craft, sewing, cake decorating, photography, even collecting rocks/​minerals. Live food shows with free samples given out, as well as various like hypnotist were done periodically throughout the day. There is one other exhibit I usually avoid: junk selling junk and especially that would be more convenient to purchase elsewhere like a mattress (!) My favorite being an animal lover is the livestock arena where you pet /​walk with zoo (baby) animals, look at small show roosters, goats, as well as sit & watch 4-​H live shows. They even added sinks for you to wash all the germs off ;) Sheryl Crow was this year’s concert lineup for that evening, so I watched her in the evening before heading home.
I appreciate that fair officials have kept in the tradition of keeping the fair going on the same grounds annually since the founding. The fairgrounds used to be a horse racetrack until they eventually built the Veteran’s Coliseum and added the fairs (state & county) and then over time included other non-​related events. That’s how the fairgrounds is kept successfully in business. The rugged southwestern ‘charm’ is also what keeps the price down a bit and keeps the fair looking like, well a typical fair with the livestock & food scents wafting in the air. Relocating would kill the vintage-​y history and drive prices up even more at a new location. I never drive & park there and use only the city bus where the stops are right in front of the entrance; parking is a bit expensive and my bus fare is free so I didn’t have to deal with the high price and worry about what happened to my car in some sketchy neighborhood. The fairgrounds and some restrooms were pretty much kept clean and litter-​free and when litter/​spills did happened, it got cleaned up ASAP. Remember, the grounds is a large property with so many colorful fairgoers that the hired staff could only keep up with. I prefer using the coliseum restroom. The air conditioning inside the coliseum was bit on the chilly side, which is not good for the body when entering from the warm outdoors. Bringing a light sweater for this could be an inconvenient to carry around, and also an umbrella due to limit shading all over. I usually hang around inside buildings until the sun finally set for me to mill around outside afterwards. As for the fairgoers in general, they pretty much keep to themselves so they didn’t cost trouble and being that this is typical of Arizona, alot of them looked, umm, alarmingly unkempt. Casual dressing for fair-​walking comfort doesn’t mean looking like you just got out of bed under an overpass and zoomed over to the fair without eating something or brushing your hair first. Sorry, but ick. I know the fair doesn’t have a dress code (sans nudity /​barefoot) and that it’s not their fault for attracting these type of people. It’s…Arizona. I didn’t choose to move to Arizona (Mom’s) so it’s obvious. However, for Sheryl Crow’s show, some of the people who showed up at the fair exclusively to see her and not attend the fair did look nice. Whew, there IS hope!
Despite the fair’s positive and negative history over the decades, I still think it’s a nice place to attend with the special people in your lives and just GO and have a good time with positive vibes and IGNORE the bad. There’s security patroling all over. Just have FUN and don’t quibble over the little petty eews– just GO and have fun and bring home memories!

I am from Iowa and have yet to come across a state fair that rivals the one in Des Moines.
That aside, I still end up going usually at least once each October/​November to the Arizona State Fair. The main draw if the free general admission at the coliseum with admission to the fair. I have seen over a dozen shows.
However, outside of that big draw they lack smaller performance options. The rest is basically rides and carnival food you can find anywhere.
A few buildings have some crafts and livestock. Worth walking thru, but not worth going to on its own.
It is also disappointing that the place looks run down and badly peeling paint on so many of the buildings.
Go for the great concert deal and enjoy a walk around the grounds for a bit after.

Dirty dirty grounds. Lots of fights. Kind of unsafe.
The food though, YAAAS. I love funnel cake, turkey legs, and lemonade! I really just go there for the food and free concerts. Yeah, I’m a fattie.

Your time at the Arizona State Fair is what you make of it. People complain that admission is $ 10 but the ASF has so many promotions that on certain days you can get free and or discounted admission.
So basically if you are paying full price for admission then you are not doing your research on the many promotions that they offer. I have not paid full admission in years.
We love going during the $ 2 rides and game days and last year we donated six pairs of shoes on that day and got free admission for the wife, myself and son.
DO YOUR RESEARCH FOR ASF PROMOTIONS
We generally go at the beginning of the day when the fair opens and stay until the sun goes down. The quality of people during the day is better and a course the lines are shorter for food, rides and games.
We are not afraid to be there at night there is just nothing to do that you can’t do during the day. The concert line up sucks and I have been going to the fair since the 80’s.
We always feel safe and we are white people. LOL.
There is plenty of security and police to give you the «peace of mind» but you can have all the police and security you want but if shit is going to go down its gonna go down just like last years teen brawl.
The food is very expensive but if you take into consideration how much the fair charges the vendors just to have the privilege of being able to set up at the fair you can see why food cost so much.
Based on information from the ASF website for vendors they charge a $ 2,000 guarantee plus 23% of gross sales or after taxes net whichever is greater.
No one says you have to buy food at the fair in fact your allowed to bring food in including drinks just no glass containers.
Bottom line, the fair is fun and the main reason we go is for my six year old son. A smile on his face is all that matters. Do your research and I guarantee you that you can have a great time at the fair and not having to spend your rent or mortgage payment to do it.

I moved to Arizona in 1974, long time ago! I saw my first concert here, Kiss at the Coliseum. We don’t come to the fair anymore to ride the rides but to see some concerts during Fair time. We like to walk around when the shows are over and ride the only ride i will get on, the Midway ride. Nice view from up there, you can see the whole city!
There is so much to do; concerts, rodeo, rides, exhibits, farm animals, something with cars and mud. Lots of shopping and food.
Not alot of gluten free options, that i’ve seen anyway.
This place is a historic landmark. As long as their line up of concerts are something that we are interested in, we will be back this October.

The Arizona state fair is a lot of fun, especially for the admission price! You can buy tickets online for about $ 6 each. The greatest value comes from the amazing FREE concerts! Every year there’s a good lineup and yes, you can get in FREE with your paid fair admission!
The biggest downsides of the fair are what you’d expect: parking runs anywhere from $ 15 — $ 25. The food stands inside should be ashamed of the outrageous prices they charge (think $ 27 for a turkey leg, $ 10 for a funnel cake, $ 7 fried Oreos, $ 8 for a small cup of lemonade) but they serve great «fair food.» The rides are your typical carnival rides and lines aren’t too bad UNLESS YOU GO AT NIGHT. Again, try to avoid the fair at night, especially on weekends! If you can go midweek during the day, you’ll have a much better time. There are lots and lots of midway games with fun prizes (but bring cash, you’re gonna need it)!
The fair grounds are large and spacious, and they pack a lot of stuff into the area. With all this space, you’d think they’d provide more shady areas or places to sit and relax — these coveted spots are few and far between. If you eat, you’re going to eat standing up in the sweltering desert sun.
The livestock exhibits are always fun to peruse and there’s a small petting zoo for kids (extra fee to do this). The exhibit halls kind of blow, they are mostly filled with vendors for mattresses and «as seen on t.v.» junk. The prize winner exhibits are fun and these was some great photography in the contest this year. Money saving tip: check online for cool events, freebies and giveaways the day of your visit! All in all, this is a pretty fun state fair!

Only worth coming if you are the unlimited ride bracelet ($ 35 each)
And honestly you better buy the fast pass too ($ 25 more a person) otherwise rides are 40+ minute wait. The real annoying thing is, few tables & chairs and they are always taken by old people resting. So plan on eating your food standing up, very frustrating! Unlimited rides are worth it. Also bring CASH!!! All food booths have minimums for using a debit card.

So, I will start by saying that I was expecting the fair to be much much worse. Mind you, I went yesterday, the day following the big teenage riot. The area does look very scary. It’s a rough neighborhood so be careful where you choose to park. We found close parking for $ 10, other places were charging $ 15. There was hardly any line to get in (pleasant surprise #1), we were literally inside within just a couple of minutes. Ladies do need to have their purses checked, so leave your weapons at home (half kidding).
There may have been added security following the violent night before. Plenty of po-po’s all over the place, as well as a specific gang unit, so at no time inside the fair did I feel unsafe. While there was a good amount of people inside, we never had to wait in a line more than a couple of minutes for food, beer, rides, or bathroom (very pleasant surprise #2). Oh, and let me touch on the bathroom– I don’t know the term for it, but it was so much nicer than a standard porta-​potty, it was larger, had lights, running water sink, and get this– an air conditioner! Yes, that would be pleasant surprise #3.
As far as the food, we had to try at least 1 fried item, and decided to go with the deep fried Reese’s peanut butter cup, which was interesting. Not bad at all. Chili cheese fries, beer, and a polish sausage dog with peppers were also on our shameful menu for the night (no judging please).
The fun night ended with a kick-​ass country concert (Justin Moore). The admission is actually free with standard fair admission, though we bought tickets for better seating (only $ 20). It was well worth it, and the crowd was great. I had heard so many negative things about the fair, and am very glad we decided to come check it out for ourselves.
Tip –take a ride on the ski lift once the sun goes down for a great view!

I give the AZ State Fair just two stars for the following reasons…
1. I’ve been to state fairs in 4 different states and this one pales in comparison.
2. In a state known for heat — they provide little shade
3. There’s nowhere to sit down to eat
4. There seems to be little thought put in how the rides are placed on the grounds
5. The vendors and exhibitors are scarce compared to other states
6. The agriculture or live stock is mostly rabbits and goats that are for sale
7. From a branding perspective they do nothing to promote or inform you about the state
8. Location, location, location — if you want anyone of more than low middle class to attend the fair, then hold it in Westworld or somewhere not smack dab in the middle of the ghetto
The state government really needs to put some time and effort in to turning this fair in to something Arizonians can be proud of.