Larimer County moves forward on plan to implement paid parking for county fair

The Larimer County Commissioners were supportive, albeit tentatively, of a plan to implement paid parking at the Larimer County Fair, beginning in 2027.

The plan was presented to the commissioners at a work session Monday afternoon, and Strategic Communications Coordinator Portia Cook said that it was an important step in the county’s goals to make the Ranch financially self-sufficient by 2039, when the sales tax that currently supports its operation expires.

The new fee schedule would include a 29-minute grace period carrying no charge, intended to allow rideshare vehicles, carpoolers and drop-off and pick-up vehicles to come and go without incurring a parking fee.

After that grace period, an hourly fee would be levied based on the time of day the vehicle was parked on the premises. An hour spent parked between midnight and 5 p.m. would carry a $3 per hour fee, according to Cook’s presentation to commissioners. During peak hours, after 5 p.m. until midnight, the fee would rise to $6 per hour.

Volunteers, participants and other exempted individuals can have their fees waived by having their license plates entered into the automatic plate reader the Ranch uses to charge for parking, Cook said.

The new fees bring the Ranch in line with similar county fairs across the state, said Conor McGrath, managing director of the Ranch.

“For comparable fairs to the Larimer County Fair, almost all of them are charging,” he said. “One example being Adams County, that’s a flat fee, not an hourly based rate, it’s a $35 per day charge. Douglas and Arapahoe also charge a fee, and it’s in or around that same ballpark that Adams is at.”

The fee is important to offset costs for parking management, Cook said. Across the five-day span of the county fair, the Ranch spends an average of $90,000 on parking staff and other expenses.

“I share that to highlight the significant costs associated with managing parking for both of those major events (fair and rodeo), and really any event that takes place at the Ranch,” she told commissioners. “As part of our long-term financial self-sufficiency goals, by implementing paid parking for those two major events, it creates an opportunity to not only offset those costs but also generate revenue to help support things like parking personnel, security, lot maintenance, technology and future improvements as well.”

Commissioners did worry over the effect an additional fee would have on both turnout at the fair and on the pocketbooks of the community, given that the fair has historically been a free family event.

“My concern is that we’ve had a lot of cost increases over the last year,” Commissioner Jody Shadduck-McNally said. “With inflation, groceries going up and people paying more at the gas pump, all those things. That tipping point of just a little bit more could discourage families to come. Even if it’s only $12, for some families $12 is dinner.”

McGrath said that the Ranch staff had considered the idea of a free day, potentially the opening night of the fair, where any parking fees would be waived to ensure that any family that wanted to visit the fair could do so. Commissioners were supportive of the idea.

“I’ll just say I support this, I understand the need,” Commissioner Kristin Stephens said. “There’s no such thing as free parking, and obviously your costs are $90,000, and that’s just for staff, not for maintenance. We have asked you to try to find ways for the Ranch to be self-sufficient and this is a step in the right direction. I’m sure some people will not be happy, but I think our costs are very reasonable with respect to other counties. I like the idea of finding a free day, I think that’s a great compromise.”

Larimer County moves forward on plan to implement paid parking for county fair

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