Not many folks are thinking of corn dogs, champion steers and riding the Ferris wheel this time of year, but preparations for the 2018 Colorado State Fair are already well underway.

The Colorado Department of Agriculture has launched a national search for a new fair division director. The department reports Sarah Cummings, the fair’s general manager since 2015, has accepted the executive director position for the Western Fairs Association headquartered in California.

“Managing the 12-month event calendar for the fairgrounds and organizing the 11-day Colorado State Fair is a tremendous undertaking,” Commissioner of Agriculture Don Brown said in a press release.  “Sarah Cummings has made positive changes and I’m looking forward to the next General Manager building on that momentum.

“This position handles more than an annual event. There are year-round activities that must be developed and organized while also staying committed to promoting Colorado agriculture and supporting Colorado youth.”

The department said it’s looking for “a dynamic leader to efficiently direct the activities of the Colorado State Fair, while effectively meeting statutory requirements for the annual fair and exposition.”

The application deadline is Jan. 12.

The 11-day fair on the 100-acre state fairgrounds an $8 million budget, caring year-round for 57 permanent buildings, with advocates say provides nearly $34 million in economic activity to Colorado throughout the year, including $29 million from the fair, the department reports.

The fair, however, runs deficits that have prompted lawmakers from other parts of the state to periodically question whether the fair is the best location to attract larger crowds and sustain itself.

But Pueblo has strong political defenders, including state Senate President Kevin Grantham, a Republican from Canon City.

The governor and legislators from across the state attend an annual barbecue on opening night each year, courtesy of the Pueblo Chamber of Commerce. Hundreds of politicians and business leaders with the Denver Rustlers and Pikes Peak Posse attend the fair each year to wear matching Western clothing and bid in the Junior Livestock Auction to reward young competitors from Colorado.