BLACKFOOT — Dust off your denim and get ready to wave the Stars and Stripes because the Eastern Idaho State Fair is about to take over Blackfoot for nine straight days of food, fun, rodeo and record-setting entertainment.
The 124th annual Eastern Idaho State Fair runs Friday, Sept. 4, to Saturday, Sept. 12, at the fairgrounds and this year’s theme — “Red, White and Blue Jeans” — leans hard into America’s 250th anniversary.
What started in 1902 as a livestock show has grown into one of the region’s most anticipated annual events, drawing more than 250,000 visitors over nine days, with entries ranging from fine arts and baking to needlecraft and more than 270 food and commercial vendors.
“There’s no better place to celebrate the spirit of 1776 than in Blackfoot,” said Brandon Bird, general manager of the Eastern Idaho State Fair. “This year’s fair blends hometown tradition with big-name entertainment, all set against the backdrop of community, pride, agriculture and good old-fashioned fun.”
That big-name entertainment starts with one of the most diverse grandstand lineups in recent fair history. Grammy-nominated rapper and pop hitmaker Flo Rida — with more than 100 million records sold worldwide and hits including “Low,” “Right Round” and “Good Feeling” — opens the fair Friday, Sept. 4. Comedian Gabriel Iglesias, known globally as “Fluffy,” brings his larger-than-life stand-up to the grandstand Thursday, Sept. 10, fresh off his Netflix specials and his lead role on NBC’s “Mr. Iglesias.” Country music’s hottest streak-breaker, Nate Smith — who became the first artist in Country Aircheck/Mediabase chart history to launch a career with three straight multi-week No. 1 singles — closes out the concert series Friday, Sept. 11.
“You want the energy and the energy comes from finding that right artist,” Bird said. “We think we’ve done a pretty good job this year with a lot of high-energy and very accomplished entertainers.”
Tickets for all three shows start at $55 through etix.com, and every grandstand ticket includes free fair gate admission the day of the show. The concerts are bookended by fan favorites — the Bull Riding Championships on Sept. 5, the Western Truck and Tractor Pull on Sept. 6, three nights of the Gem State Classic Pro Rodeo Sept. 7-9, and the always-popular September Slam Demolition Derby closing out the fair Sept. 12.
Behind the scenes, the fair is honoring the people who keep it running.
Longtime volunteers Mike and Judy Kirkham will serve as this year’s Grand Marshals, recognized for their decades of service. Judy has overseen the fair’s antiques department for 50 years — a role she stumbled into after being asked to help judge bottles for a small exhibit — while Mike has spent nearly 40 years moving from the grandstand to parking to gate operations.
The couple, married 63 years, will be honored during the fair’s parade on Saturday, Sept. 5, on Blackfoot’s Shilling Street.
“Mike and Judy represent the very best of what the Eastern Idaho State Fair stands for,” Bird said. “Their lifetime of service, heart and humility have shaped this fair in ways most people will never see, but everyone benefits from.”
The fair is also investing in its next generation.
In partnership with Butler Amusements, the fair has awarded $126,000 in college scholarships since the program began and this year’s committee added two new honorary scholarships alongside the traditional six $1,500 awards, recognizing students who exemplify the fair community beyond 4-H and FFA involvement.
This year’s eight recipients are Carter Moore of Sugar-Salem High School, Megan Biorn of South Fremont High School, Tymber Billman and Kate Barney of Rigby High School, Jed Townsend and McKinley Miller of Marsh Valley High School, Elizabeth Murdock of Snake River Opportunities, and Aspen Boice of Madison High School.
For something you can’t see anywhere else, the thunder of Indian Relay Racing returns to the Bank of Commerce Grandstand track. The sport, which originated on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation more than 100 years ago, features teams of three horses and four riders competing bareback — no saddles, no stirrups — in high-speed mid-race horse exchanges, with more than $60,000 in prize money on the line.
The National Indian Relay Championships run alongside Pari-Mutuel horse racing at the fair Sept. 6, 7, 11 and 12, with $5 admission. But Thursday, Sept. 10, stands out: admission is free, paired with a cultural celebration and 90 minutes of uninterrupted racing — the ideal day for first-timers.
With nine days of rides, concerts, rodeo and food, costs can add up fast — but the fair says there are more ways to save than most people realize.
Buying gate tickets online before Sept. 4 knocks a dollar off admission at every level. The Ultimate Happy Pass, $50 for all nine days of gate admission plus four days of horse racing, pays for itself after just four visits. Two Channel 8 donation-drive days — a canned food item Sept. 9, a school supply item Sept. 10 — drop adult gate admission to $5. Pepsi Wristband Days (Sept. 8, 9 and 10) offer unlimited carnival rides plus gate admission for $32. Active military members get in free every day with a valid ID, and free daily entertainment — including Rebecca Fireplug, Mimealot, Hypnotist Corrie J and the Aaron Ball Band — is included with regular gate admission.
Complete ticket information, the daily schedule and a fairgrounds map are available at funatthefair.com or by calling (208) 785-2480.