Missouri State Fair celebrates new arena, fire station on opening day

SEDALIA, Mo. (KMIZ).

The 2026 Missouri State Fair got underway Thursday, with the day's events including celebrations of two major projects.

Fair officials held ribbon-cutting ceremonies of new additions to the fairgrounds, including the new Governor Michael L. Parson Arena and an upgraded State Fair Fire Station.

State officials and university leaders gathered at the 150,000-square-foot arena to launch the annual event. Notable figures in attendance included Gov. Mike Kehoe, University of Missouri System President Mun Choi, and Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway.

The new facility cost roughly $30 million dollars, according to Kehoe, and will be used as an all year round facility to host events like rodeos, livestock shows and sporting events.

Kehoe also mentioned the arena's potential regional draw and said legislatures have already approved funding for the second phase of construction.

"The legislature has approved kind of a second phase for this," Kehoe said. "It will include some stalling facilities and different things to be able to host those world-class shows."

The arena was called a "world-class facility" by Kehoe, who also said other states want to create similar facilities in their fairgrounds.

Kehoe said this facility will really lean into its "multipurpose" title and have a diverse array of events hosted in it.

"This is for RV shows, this is for equipment shows, this is for livestock shows of all sorts," Kehoe said. "So the multi-use part of this arena truly will be multi-use. It would be fantastic."

The other ribbon-cutting ceremony happened not too far from the arena to open the official fair grounds fire station.

Officials described this station as the world's first 11-day station because it will only be in use as a fire station during the fair.

State Fair Assistant Fire Chief Larry Eggen, who works full time with the Johnson County Fire Protection District, said all personnel in the facility are volunteers coming from other stations in Missouri.

With the volunteers coming from different parts of Missouri, they also bring equipment to supply the fair station with what they need.

"Our member agencies, fire departments, and ambulance districts supply us with their equipment, and they supply the supplies and things to use at the fair," Eggen said.

Emergency personnel at the new station are equipped with six ambulances, three fire engines, two tankers, three squads, two command vehicles, and several utility vehicles patrolling the grounds.

On average, there are roughly 87 volunteers active per day throughout the fair. These volunteers stay in bunkers in the new station. There are seven bunk rooms located in the station, split by gender.

The station includes a first aid medical room to treat minor heat-related illnesses and other medical situations.

Eggen said that in the case of an emergency, if the first aid room is not fully equipped, there is a fully equipped medical care team located on the campgrounds ready for more serious medical emergencies.

The station is also a goof place for fair-goers to come if they need a break from the heat according to Eggen.

"We can seat over 100 people, so we get them in and have them get some drink, some water, or something. Just to cool down," Eggen said. So it's a good refuge from the hot weather, so it makes our job so much easier."