The Old Pueblo Band played the first Pima County Fair in May 1911, setting a precedent that has matured into a concert series with superstars of every genre in the 100 years that followed.
This year's concert series kicks off with the alternative-rock quartet Neon Trees Thursday and includes eight concerts in all through the festival's 11-day run .
Holding a concert at the county fair made perfect sense back then and even more today. One hundred years ago, the live music provided an entertaining respite from the fair's primary purpose - showcasing local businesses, including farmers, cattlemen, retailers and professionals.
The fair was produced by the Chamber of Commerce, which explains the emphasis on touting businesses, said Marvin Selke, a member of the Southwestern Fair Commission board. The commission runs the Pima County Fairgrounds and the fair.
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Today the concerts can be just the hook to get folks in the door.
"The idea is to provide entertainment that makes people want to come to the fair, to pay to come into the gate, ride the rides, eat the food," said Selke, who helped compile historical data on this year's centennial celebration. "They're spending money . . . even though the concert might be free."
Most of the fair entertainment in its first half-century came from a smattering of local or regional bands. For the first 20 years or so, fairgoers could expect one or two concerts, in addition to a handful of stage shows. In 1949, entertainment almost every day featured the Tucson Boys Chorus and school bands from Tucson Junior High, Mansfield Middle, Catalina and Roskruge schools in 1949.
Throughout the 1950s the main entertainment was dominated by a circus, Selke said.
When the fair joined hands with the Southern Arizona International Livestock Show in 1960, local-boy-made-good Rex Allen, a big Silver Screen singing-cowboy star, was the first national star to play the fair.
That must have set the bar pretty high for the fair's organizers. In 1963, the Osmond Brothers, who were stars on "The Andy Williams Show," and Tex Beneke of the Glenn Miller Orchestra were the featured stars, swinging wide open the door to national touring acts.
Over the years, the lineup has included stars of every genre - rock, pop, Latin, country. The late Latin pop sensation Selena was here in 1992; Los Lobos were regulars in the early 1990s; and Los Tigres del Norte has visited often since 2000, including a return to the fair this year.
Admission has historically been free with fair admission. There have been a few exceptions, including in 1998, when the fair charged an extra $10 to see Third Eye Blind.
Pima County Fair 2011 concert series
Admission to the concert series is free with paid fair admission: $8 for adults, $2 for kids 6 to 10, free for children 5 and younger. Concerts are held at the Budweiser Main Stage.
8 p.m. Thursday - Neon Trees.
8 p.m. Friday - Anberlin.
8 p.m. Saturday - Cheap Trick.
7:30 p.m. April 17 - Boyz II Men.
7:30 p.m. April 20 - Foghat.
8 p.m. April 22 - Michael Salgado.
8 p.m. April 23 - Easton Corbin.
7:30 p.m. April 24 - Los Tigres del Norte.
