Department of Community and Culture. Division of Expositions

Purpose: "Provide the state of Utah with one of America's finest fairs housed in a first-class fairpark, as well as make available year-round accommodations for community groups which appropriately use its historic buildings and grounds. The history of the Utah State Fair dates back to the mid-1850s and is being renewed in the 1990s." (From "Capitol Connections" newsletter, volume 1, issue 5, September 1993, page 4.) "The division of expositions was created to promote livestock breeding, agriculture, horticulture, mining, manufacturing, mechanical arts, sciences, industrial arts, and creative arts. The State Fair held each year is the main vehicle used by the division to fulfill its purpose. It provides competition for Utah residents in agriculture, science, crafts, and art. Utah industry is also promoted at the State Fair. Utah's first fair was held in 1856, only nine years after the first pioneers arrived in the Salt Lake Valley." (From "State and Local Government in Utah," 1992 ed., pp. 188-189.)

"Primary responsibility for the fair and other expositions rests with a nine-member board of expositions who are appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the Senate....?"The chief administrative officer of the division is a director, who is appointed by the executive director of the Department of Community Development with the concurrence of the board. Utah law provides that the director be experienced in motivation, leadership, and public relations." (From "State and Local Government in Utah," 1992 ed., pp. 188-189.)

The Division of Expositions was supervised by the Department of Community and Economic Development at the time it privatized. From 1967-1979, it was under the Dept. of Development Services.