Every year, the Permian Basin Fair and Expo strives to be bigger and better than the previous September and this year looks to be no exception.
Permian Basin Fair and Expo spokesperson Barbara Magana Robertson says that every day at the fair is going to be filled with an unending list of things to do at the fair.
This year’s Permian Basin Fair and Expo will last from Sept. 2-11 at the Ector County Coliseum and the surrounding area.
“I would say that it’s going to be bigger this year,” Robertson said. “Every year, we learn something. Every day at the fair is packed with some kind of activity, from livestock shows to live music, the specialty acts that are there, there’s plenty of action going on. This is daily. It’s not just the weekend. It’s during the entire fair, from opening day to closing. You may see the carnival lights out there but there’s so much more going on.”
From the rides to the stock shows to the games and, of course, the entertainment, there will be something for almost everyone to enjoy during the week.
“The excitement is absolutely off the chart,” Robertson said. “We have a board that has been working very hard, not only this past year but coming out of the COVID years as well. It’s something that we’ve really wanted to do and they have worked very hard for the 2022 Permian Basin Fair and Expo to provide scholarships and to give back to the community and be a place where family fun can take place.”
On the entertainment side of things, musician Chris DeAnda will kick things off at 8 p.m. Sept. 2 at the main stage.
All music acts will take place on the main stage throughout the fair.
DeAnda has performed in the past at the Permian Basin Fair and Expo.
“He’s always been popular,” Robertson said of DeAnda. “He’s excited to be coming back to our fair to perform. He’ll be kicking it off. One thing that we always want to have is live music on our stage.”
DeAnda to headline opening night at Permian Basin Fair and Expo
Performing at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Sept. 3 will be Odessa’s own band Never 2 Young and at 10 p.m. will be Chris Harris and the 444 Band.
Los Crazy Guys will be rocking the stage at 4, 6 and 8 p.m. Sunday.
“We’ll have music throughout the day,” Robertson said. “We get all different flavors of music. What better way to come out to the Permian Basin Fair and listen to good music. They’re a crowd favorite. They’re a local favorite.”
Labor Day will feature Robert Sullivan at 2 p.m., followed by Churchwell at 4 and 5 p.m. and then Good As Gold will close out the day with performances at 7 and 8 p.m.
“Labor Day itself, we have some good bands coming out,” Robertson said. “Robert Sullivan kicks off at 2 p.m. Churchwell, I don’t think they’ve ever been to our fair. They’ll be debuting. Good as Gold was out here last year. They put on a good show. It was good music to dance to or sit and listen to.”
This year’s fair will also include a Praise and Worship, beginning at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 8 which will also be on the main stage.
The Praise and Worship night will be coordinated by Mary Ellis Henson.
“That’ll be a lot of fun with Christian music,” Robertson said.
Sullivan will perform again at 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on Sept. 7.
Los Crazy Guys return to the stage on Sept. 9 and Sept. 10, Busted Desert Radio and Contraband will perform at 12 and 7:30 p.m., respectively.
Contraband will close things out on the entertainment with a 12 and 7:30 p.m. performance Sept. 11.
The 2020 Fair and Expo wasn’t held due to COVID but it made its return last year.
“This year’s expo, I think as a community, we’ve learned to live through the COVID,” Robertson said. “But the fair and expo itself, we’ve always put public safety first. We’re in an outdoor area. There’s always something to do and see at the Permian Basin Fair. Safety has always been a top priority. When I say there’s an excitement going on for the fair, I’m telling you, it is something. We’re excited to see people come through the gate.”
However, it’s not just music that’ll be the only form of entertainment at the fair.
Plenty of other shows and acts will be going on throughout the week.
A Paul Bunyan Lumberjack Show will be a new addition to this year’s fair and will take place throughout the week.
A Kid’s Celebration, a Pirates of the Sky show and a Wild West Show will also take place at various times throughout the week.
“I think a lot of people don’t realize what you can see with your ticket,” Robertson said. “With your ticket, it includes every specialty act that you can see right at the fair. For example, we have these specialty acts going on like the Wild West Show. It’s a longstanding tradition to see a Wild West Show that includes actors that put on a whole show. There’s different schedules throughout the evenings at the show. There’s plenty to see. It’s like taking a step back into the Wild West and having a front row seat. The other events that we have include kid celebration. Kid celebration is a family game show like atmosphere and your family might be one of the lucky ones that’s asked to participate. But kids of all ages, parents and grandparents, you’ll see them participate in these competitions. It’s a lot of laughs and a lot of fun.”
This year’s Permian Basin Fair and Expo president is Susie Wyatt. The theme chosen for this year will be “Celebrating the Red, White and Blue in ’22.”
“Opening day is going to be packed with a lot of exciting things for the opening ceremony,” Robertson said. “The creative arts theme is ‘All gave some, some gave all.’ It’s something she can be proud of. It’s a proud time for our country to salute those and we’re going to do that in a proud way.”
A list of other events at this year’s fair can be found online at tinyurl.com/rxwz6rpt.
If you go
- What: Permian Basin Fair and Expo.
- When: Sept. 2-11.
- Where: Ector County Coliseum.
- Where to purchase tickets: tinyurl.com/yarw8r8z
