By Ahwatukee Foothills News
The roar of midway rides and the smell of fried everything is coming to a place not far from Ahwatukee this fall.
The State Fair Board last week voted to move the 2021 fair to the Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park, saying it was bigger than the fairgrounds and thus could better accommodate socially distanced patrons.
Although the board in a release called it a temporary location and a lease was signed only for one year, the decision comes at a time when a Scottsdale developer and the Wild Horse Pass Development Authority are assembling tenants for a 3,300-acre sports and entertainment complex.
The project lead, Sunbelt Holdings of Scottsdale, and the Gila River Indian Community’s development arm envision additional hotels, wellness and event centers, an outdoor amphitheater for concerts, sports facilities, outdoor recreation and parks, restaurants, retail establishments and an office park.