State fair gets new name

The Nevada State Fair held annually in Reno is getting a new name.

The fair's board of directors announced Monday that the fair will now be called the Nevada Territory Wild West Fair and will focus on the state's history.

"This is certainly conceptual, but it is the direction we would like to go in," said Rich Crombie, the fair's executive director. "We have had wonderful responses from both civic and corporate sponsors, and we hope that the public will embrace this as well."

Plans include highlighting life in Nevada as it was when it was a territory, including pursuits like mining, railroading and agriculture.

The new concept also includes villages illustrating the influences of Native Americans, Mexicans and the Chinese.

While there will still be carnival rides, the renamed fair will also include Wild West shows, Civil War re-enactments and displays of Nevada military history.

Nevada, whose state flag bears the phrase "Battle Born," gained statehood on Oct. 31, 1864, during the Civil War.

At least some of the fair changes will debut Aug. 25-29 at the Reno-Sparks Livestock Events Center. Crombie said organizers will make changes depending on time ahead of the fair.

He also said the hope is that the new theme will increase tourism from visitors interested in the history of the West.

"This will be a one-stop shop for those folks, where they can see everything they wanted to see," he said. "It will be just like walking into an old Western on TV, getting all of it right there in one celebration."