CORTEZ – Wandering between the barns at the Montezuma County Fairgrounds in the final week of July is like stepping through a living time capsule.
The livestock and handiwork on display tell the tale of the county’s rich agricultural past, as well as its future. For generations, the Montezuma County Fair served as an annual opportunity for the community to gather and celebrate its local roots – and the 2026 edition enjoyed the added fanfare surrounding the nation’s 250th anniversary along with Cortez’ 140th year.
The local 4-H clubs showcased the fruits of their yearlong labor, with many of the program’s youth taking center stage with their four-legged companions in the various livestock barns for the coveted honor of grand champion.
Behind every entry on display is a story, from the ducks in the poultry barn to the quilts in the exhibit hall – and behind an event of such magnitude, a legion of volunteers necessary to make the wheels turn.
For livestock board member Chelsea Philpott, the fair itself is a culmination of a yearlong process focused on creating a self-sustaining opportunity for participants – mostly children – to put their best foot forward to represent their hard work, passion and skills in front of the community.
Philpott said fundraising efforts throughout the year, headlined by a jackpot fundraiser in early summer, help to set the foundation for an enjoyable environment and top-notch setting for the week’s events. The livestock board uses 6% of the sales from the fair-ending livestock auction to continue to fund fairgrounds improvement efforts, the rental of the fairgrounds space for the event, as well as scholarships for seniors in 4-H program.
“In the past year, we bought new pens for the poultry barn and a new show ring for the swine,” said Philpott, who serves in her second year as one of the seven-member livestock committee.
The tight-knit 4-H community leans on its dedicated alums to support the future generation of the program. Philpott said many of those former 4-H participants find their way back to the county fair each summer to give back in various ways.
“Former 4-H participants have really been stepping up in any way they can – helping the younger kids, tracking results – they’re still a part of the program by giving back,” she said.
The livestock committee, Montezuma County Fair board and the 4-H program each work in collaboration to help make the weeklong event run smoothly.
“Each member has their role,” Philpott said, “and they’ve been putting in the work year-round to make this happen.”
Behind the scenes, dozens of club and project leaders put in countless hours to prepare the 4-Hers to build skills that go far beyond ribbon-winning.
“They’re putting in time daily to teach the kids, both how to take care of their livestock, as well as life skills,” Philpott said of the 4-H leaders.
Over 120 exhibitors entered in the livestock competitions, let alone the dozens more that shared their various craft work in the exhibit hall – making the 2026 edition of the fair another sign of the fair’s place in the fabric of rural America.
Meanwhile, around the fairgrounds, community participation extended to the organizations and businesses.
“We saw more vendors than in past years – and we’ve seen more community members showing up to our shows,” Philpott said. “We’ve got some really high-quality projects and livestock.”
A Bred-and-Fed program for Montezuma County helps to encourage young 4-H members to consider working with animals born and raised in the county.
“We have quite a few ‘Bred-and-Fed’ animals here every year – they kids will take the litters and sell them back within the community,” Philpott said, “and many of those animals will make it back here to the county fair.”
Bred-and-Fed winners get the distinction of earning a separate drive through the ring to get to compete against other locally-grown livestock.
As for the operation of the fair itself, “I grew up around this, and I realize that it takes a village,” Philpott said. “There are so many moving parts – we need all of the volunteers that we have.”
Among all the Montezuma County Fair volunteers like Philpott, there’s a common theme.
“We all love our community, and this is our way of giving back to it,” she said.
