Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center

Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center, formerly known as State Farm Show Arena, is a large exhibition center and indoor arena in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It is primarily used for concerts, agricultural exhibitions, the Pennsylvania Farm Show, and indoor football. The complex also hosts more than 200 other exhibits and trade shows every year. The Farm Show Complex is 60 acres (240,000 m2), houses 24 acres (97,000 m2) under roof, spread throughout 11 buildings including three arenas.[1]

Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center

Frieze detail added by Versus T. Ritter in 1937
Pennsylvania Show Complex and Expo Center is located in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Show Complex and Expo Center
Pennsylvania Show Complex and Expo Center
Location within Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Show Complex and Expo Center is located in the United States
Pennsylvania Show Complex and Expo Center
Pennsylvania Show Complex and Expo Center
Location within the United States
Former namesState Farm Show Arena
Location2300 North Cameron Street
Harrisburg, PA 17110
OwnerPennsylvania Department of Agriculture
Capacity7,600 (New Holland Arena)
Construction
Broke groundOctober 31, 1930
Opened1931
ArchitectLawrie & Green
Tenants
Harrisburg Heat (NPSL/MISL) (1991–2003)
Harrisburg Hammerheads (CBA) (1994–1995)
Harrisburg Stampede (SIFL/AIFA/AIF) (2009–2013, 2024–present)
Harrisburg Heat (MASL) (2012–present)
Central Penn Capitals (AIF) (2016)

The complex consists of the following components:

  • Main Hall, 146,527 square feet (13,612.8 m2), built in 1931[2]
  • Exposition Hall, 172,000 square feet (16,000 m2) built in 2001[1]
  • New Holland Arena, 28,000 square feet (2,600 m2) at floor, 7318 seats, completed in 1939 (originally named Large Arena until 2016)[2]
  • Equine Arena, 39,200 square feet (3,640 m2) at floor, 1660 seats
  • Sale Arena, 4,000 square feet (370 m2) at floor, 918 seats[3]

The North, Northeast, Northwest and West Halls add another 187,600 square feet (17,430 m2) of space. A large equine barn serves the Equine Arena.

History

In 1921, the State Fair Commission was created to find a site for a new venue to house the increasingly popular Pennsylvania Farm Show, but was replaced in 1927 with the State Farm Products Show Commission. This commission would approve the 40-acre tract north of Harrisburg and later the design by Lawrie & Green for the initial building, with ground being broken by October 31, 1930.[4]

During World War II, the building was used as a training center for the New Cumberland Air Command, with mechanics bays under the North Hall.[5]

The Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center hosted the Harrisburg Heat of the Major Indoor Soccer League from 1991–2003, and the Harrisburg Hammerheads of the Continental Basketball Association from 1994-1995. In 2009, the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center began hosting the Harrisburg Stampede of the American Indoor Football Association, continuing to do so until 2013 after which the team joined the Professional Indoor Football League and moved to the Giant Center in nearby Hershey. The Central Penn Capitals played at the Expo Center as a member of American Indoor Football in 2016.[6] In 2012, the Harrisburg Heat of the Major Arena Soccer League returned to the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center to play their home games in the Equine Arena.[7] The team returned to the New Holland Arena beginning with its 2014–15 season.[8] Boxing matches and monster truck rallies have also been held at the venue.

In 2020 and 2021, the Farm Show Complex housed Pennsylvania's stockpile of personal protective equipment related to the COVID-19 pandemic.[9] The state leased private warehouse space for the medical supplies in July 2021, freeing up the complex for events.[10] During the 2020-2021 hiatus, $21 million were spent to renovate the complex with improvements in public safety, sustainability, and energy-efficiency.[5]

Annual events held at the Farm Show Complex

References
  1. 2010 Farm Show facts and figuresPennsylvania Department of Agriculture, accessed April 25, 2010. Archived October 31, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  2. Pfingsten, Bill (2008). "Pennsylvania Farm Show". HMdb.org. Retrieved 2009-07-16.
  3. "History". PA Farm Show Complex. Retrieved 2021-12-29.
  4. "Pennsylvania Farm Show". Pennsylvania Heritage Magazine. Retrieved 2021-12-29.
  5. "Tending to the Farm (Show): $21 million upgrades, during pandemic downtime, await PA Farm Show visitors". TheBurg. 2021-12-29. Retrieved 2021-12-29.
  6. "Capitals relocate to Dauphin County and the Farm Show Complex & Expo Center and will be renamed the Central PA Capitals". American Indoor Football. October 14, 2015. Archived from the original on October 18, 2015. Retrieved October 14, 2015.
  7. Bristol, Jason. "Harrisburg Heat is back, begins play in November in PASL". cbs21.com. Archived from the original on February 9, 2013. Retrieved May 3, 2012.
  8. Bullock, Michael (January 24, 2014). "Harrisburg Heat moving to Farm Show's Large Arena in 2014-15, maybe sooner". The Patriot-News. Harrisburg, PA: Advance Publications. Retrieved January 24, 2014.
  9. Gruber, Philip (April 9, 2021). "PPE Could Be Out of Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex by Fall". Lancaster Farming. Retrieved 2021-12-09.
  10. Gruber, Philip (July 15, 2021). "Pennsylvania Leases New Space, Will Remove PPE From Farm Show Complex". Lancaster Farming. Retrieved 2021-12-09.

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