AWARDS
Chamber Choice
Payne County Expo Center
The Payne County Expo Center sits on 80 acres of land on the east side of Stillwater . It ’ s most famously known for the Payne County Fair held every August , but it ’ s home to much more . On average , the Expo Center hosts about 4 events a week , sometimes even 5 events at once . They do all of this with just six full time employees .
The Expo Center houses multiple different meeting areas of over 85,000 square feet making it a versatile place to host an event . It ’ s home to an Expo Hall , Community Building , Heritage Hall , McVey Arena , a Livestock Pavilion , and an RV layout with hook ups . It includes indoor display space , covered barns for livestock and horses , and an outdoor grassy area for carnival rides and outdoor shows .
Each year the Expo Center hosts hundreds of livestock shows , craft shows , baby showers , weddings and receptions , meetings , conferences and more . Having such a versatile event venue in our community brings thousands of visitors each year . This is great for our local economy , and even better for the ⅜ cent sales tax . This tax , which renews every 5 years , funds a portion of the Expo Center .
Economic impact has been measured by the OSU Agricultural Economics department at more than 5 Million dollars a year . The highest gross sales tax weekend for Stillwater comes from the weekend of the Monaco Coach Show at the Expo Center , surpassing all home OSU games .
Aside from all of their commercial events , Payne County Expo Center is dedicated to serving the Stillwater community . The Expo Center is available for rent to many diverse groups and many are able to use the Center at reduced or no cost . Youth events such as 4-H and FFA contests and gatherings are allowed to use the facility for free . The Expo Center is incredibly supportive of the education of our next generation of citizens .
The Expo Center hosts some of Stillwater ’ s most notable events such as the Payne County Fair , Home and Garden Show , Taste of Stillwater , OSU Homecoming Chili Cook Off , Oklahoma Cattlemen ’ s Preview Show and many more . The Expo Center works closely with many Chamber activities and hosts the Annual Chamber Agriculture Banquet , The Annual Chamber Business Persons Judging Contest and the Annual Barnyard Olympics .
Aside from offering a space for community and fundraising events , the Expo Center was also an integral part of Stillwater overcoming the pandemic . In 2020 , the Expo Center housed an area for complete COVID-19 testing and eventually a place for COVID-19 vaccinations as well . Hundreds of people visited the Expo Center during the pandemic to get tested and vaccinated , without the venue stepping up , there may not have been a place for our community to go .
wThese shows include regional and national horse shows , livestock shows , and even motor coach association shows . The Expo Center is centrally located not only in Oklahoma but also in the United States , making it a middle ground for everyone . The Stillwater community would be incomplete without the Payne County Expo Center .
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COMMERCE | 2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce