CHICKASHA – The Grady County Fairgrounds hosts an event almost every day of the year, and more hotel rooms are needed to keep visitors, contestants and their families in Chickasha.
And that explains why Andy Maher, executive director of the fairgrounds, embraces California entrepreneur Chet Hitt’s suggestion to build a hotel near or at the fairgrounds.
“Over the past two or three years we’ve averaged 325 to 350 events each year,” attracting literally thousands of out-of-towners to Chickasha, Maher said.
The Grady County Fairgrounds was constructed in 1939, during the Great Depression, as a Works Progress Administration project, and was utilized as a prisoner-of-war camp during World War II.
The fairgrounds sprawls across approximately 65 acres and is the third largest in Oklahoma, surpassed only by Oklahoma City’s and Tulsa’s. Its facilities include three indoor equestrian arenas, an outdoor arena, two stall barns, a meeting room, exhibit hall and classrooms.
The Grady County Fairgrounds received a facelift in 2000. Since the renovation, it has evolved into a multipurpose event center and tourism destination point.
The facility hosts myriad events including rodeos, performance horse shows, dog shows, concerts, roping events, barrel racing, cutting horse and team penning events, livestock shows, numerous local and statewide educational events, sports activities, and the largest antique car swap meet in the nation. The fairgrounds will host a national alpaca show in 2025, Maher said.
“We focus on family and corporate events as well as livestock shows,” he said.
A “Memorial of Christ’s Death” was held at the fairgrounds April 4, and Continental Resources’ Training was held in the event center April 6. The Junior Social Workers of Chickasha conducted their annual Spaghetti Day fundraiser in the North Building at the fairgrounds on Sept. 30 last year. Corporate retreats, oil and gas safety meetings and wedding receptions are held at the fairgrounds.
Many of the events span multiple days. A three-day junior and senior high school joint rodeo was held last weekend; Circus Marvelous was in town March 20-21; and the Grady County Junior Livestock Show was held Feb. 27 through March 2.
Besides the numerous events held at the fairgrounds, the sports complex that’s visible and easily accessible from the H.E. Bailey Turnpike/Interstate 44 is “bringing a lot of guests to town for sports tournaments,” Maher pointed out.
Jim Cowan, director of the Chickasha Economic Development Council, noted that Chickasha also draws thousands of visitors for the annual Oklahoma Food Truck Championship, Christmas in July, the Rock Island Arts Festival and the Rock Island charity bicycle ride.
“Because we lack hotel rooms, many of these people are staying in Norman or Oklahoma City, where they fill up their vehicles, eat meals, and spend their money on entertainment,” Maher said. “We want those people to stay here and not leave.”