Venue: Paso Robles Event Center
Town: Paso Robles, US

The Paso Robles Event Center, formerly California Mid-State Fairgrounds, is an entertainment complex located in Paso Robles, California. The site opened in 1946 for the annual "California Mid-State Fair" (originally known as the "16th District Fair" or "San Luis Obispo County Fair" [1946-80] and "San Luis Obispo County Mid-State Fair" [1981-85]). In addition to the fair with a variety of rides, games and activities, concerts, trade shows, conventions, equestrian showcases, craft brewing festivals, roller derby competitions, and other events have taken place at the Event Center. The fairgrounds were approved by the state fair board in 1946. In the late 1940s, exhibits included livestock, agriculture, horticulture, domestic science and arts displays, dairy products, bees and honey, poultry, and horse shows. A flower show building was constructed on the center's grounds in 1968. The fair's flower show began in 1948 and by the early 1990s had grown to feature nearly 2,000 entries annually, either in the fresh-cut or arrangement categories. In 1972, a moderately sized rock waterfall was added near the main entrance to the fairgrounds. The location added a life-size, thousand-pound bronze statue (sculpted in clay) of a horseback cowboy, named Cool Water, in 2003. The waterfall was renovated as part of Maynard's Mountain in 2007, named in dedication to former longtime fair manager Maynard Potter. The neighboring decorations, featuring marigolds, petunias, and ageratum, are now dedicated to Lawrence W. Lewin, formerly the manager of the 16th District Agricultural Association.The facility was renamed from the California Mid-State Fairgrounds to Paso Robles Events Center in February 2006 to reflect the variety of functions held at the location year-round in addition to the summer fair. In February 2020, the California Department of Food and Agriculture awarded $1.39 million in funding to the event center. The funds were set to be used to improve Estrella Hall within the cente