Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center
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The Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center, formerly known as State Farm Show Arena and informally known simply as the Farm Show, is a large
The complex consists of the following components:
- Main Hall, 146,527 square feet (13,612.8 m2), built in 1931[2]
- GIANT Exposition Hall, 172,000 square feet (16,000 m2) built in 2001[1] (originally named Weis Exposition Hall)
- New Holland Arena, 28,000 square feet (2,600 m2) at floor, 7318 seats, completed in 1939 (originally named Large Arena until 2016)[2]
- Equine Arena, 39,200 square feet (3,640 m2) at floor, 1660 seats
- Small Arena, 4,000 square feet (370 m2) at floor, 918 seats[3]
The North, Northeast, Northwest and West Halls add another 187,600 square feet (17,430 m2) of space. A large equine barn serves the Equine Arena.
History
In 1921, the State Fair Commission was created to find a site for a new venue to house the increasingly popular Pennsylvania Farm Show, but was replaced in 1927 with the State Farm Products Show Commission. This commission would approve the 40-acre tract north of Harrisburg and later the design by Lawrie & Green for the initial building, with ground being broken by October 31, 1930.[4]
During World War II, the building was used as a training center for the New Cumberland Air Command, with mechanics bays under the North Hall.[5]
The Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center hosted the
In 2020 and 2021, the Farm Show Complex housed Pennsylvania's stockpile of personal protective equipment related to the COVID-19 pandemic.[9] The state leased private warehouse space for the medical supplies in July 2021, freeing up the complex for events.[10] During the 2020-2021 hiatus, $21 million were spent to renovate the complex with improvements in public safety, sustainability, and energy-efficiency.[5]
Annual events held at the Farm Show Complex
- Pennsylvania Farm Show (January), largest indoor agricultural event held in the United States
- Pennsylvania Auto Show (January)
- outdoor recreationshow and expo
- Horse World Expo (february/ March) Demonstrations, clinics, many vendors and evening performances by Theatre Equus[11]
- Pennsylvania National Horse Show (October)
- All American Dairy Show (September)
- Keystone International Livestock Exposition (October)
- PRCA First Frontier Circuit Finals Rodeo (January)
- Motorama Races and Events (February)
- Jalsa Salana USA, an annual gathering of the US Ahmadiyya Muslim Community (July)
References
- ^ a b 2010 Farm Show facts and figuresPennsylvania Department of Agriculture, accessed April 25, 2010. Archived October 31, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b Pfingsten, Bill (2008). "Pennsylvania Farm Show". HMdb.org. Retrieved 2009-07-16.
- ^ "History". PA Farm Show Complex. Retrieved 2021-12-29.
- ^ "Pennsylvania Farm Show". Pennsylvania Heritage Magazine. Retrieved 2021-12-29.
- ^ a b "Tending to the Farm (Show): $21 million upgrades, during pandemic downtime, await PA Farm Show visitors". TheBurg. 2021-12-29. Retrieved 2021-12-29.
- ^ "Capitals relocate to Dauphin County and the Farm Show Complex & Expo Center and will be renamed the Central PA Capitals". American Indoor Football. October 14, 2015. Archived from the original on October 18, 2015. Retrieved October 14, 2015.
- ^ Bristol, Jason. "Harrisburg Heat is back, begins play in November in PASL". cbs21.com. Archived from the original on February 9, 2013. Retrieved May 3, 2012.
- Harrisburg, PA: Advance Publications. Retrieved January 24, 2014.
- ^ Gruber, Philip (April 9, 2021). "PPE Could Be Out of Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex by Fall". Lancaster Farming. Retrieved 2021-12-09.
- ^ Gruber, Philip (July 15, 2021). "Pennsylvania Leases New Space, Will Remove PPE From Farm Show Complex". Lancaster Farming. Retrieved 2021-12-09.
- ^ https://www.horseworldexpo.com/