The Fascinating History Of Montana State Fair In Great Falls

How Did The State Fair For Montana End Up Being Held In Great Falls?

Before we get into the how, let's talk about Montana ExpoPark.

Interesting Facts About Montana Expo Park

From Wikipedia:

• 133 acres
• 35 buildings
• Originally known as North Montana State Fairgrounds
• Designed by Gordon G. Cottier and George M. Shanley
• Many of the buildings are in Art Deco style:  Atrium, Family Living Center, Fine Arts Building, Livestock Pavilion, Mercantile Building, and Trades and Industries Building
• Horse racing track
• 3 large parks
• Pacific Steel and Recycling Arena, built in 1979
• Exhibition Hall built in 1995
• 6 of the original structures put on the list of National Register of Historic Places in 1989
• First building erected was the Livestock Pavilion in 1919
• New grandstands built in 2019
• Fairgrounds owned and managed by Cascade County

Interesting Facts About Montana State Fair

• Initially, the Montana State Fair was held in Helena
• Between 1934 and 1938, the Public Works Administration gave grants that helped finish many of the structures
• In 1939, the Montana State Fair moved to Great Falls permanently.
• From Helena History, "The state fair, however, last held in 1932, lapsed during the depression. In 1933, the depression forced cancellation of the Montana State Fair at Helena. Most people simply could not afford the price of admission."

Much like everything in Great Falls, we owe a lot to those who were here before us.  From trailblazers like Paris Gibson and Charlie Russel, to the residents of Cascade County in the early 1900's that, by almost sheer will, made Great Falls the home of the Montana State Fair, thank you.  The legacy of their vision has lasted many lifetimes and made Great Falls a wonderful place to live, work and play.

This year's Montana State Fair promises to be no different than the state fair's of the past, full of fun, food, friends, family and memories. See what's planned for the fair here.