Salt Fork Arena and Event Center is set to become a major destination for agriculture, livestock events, and economic development in Alva, Oklahoma. In a conversation with Associate Farm Reporter Carli Davenport, Executive Director Larry Milbourn said the new facility was designed to serve the region’s agricultural community while creating new opportunities for rodeos, livestock shows, educational events and local economic growth.
“It’s a newly constructed 200,000-square-foot multi-purpose event center,” Milburn said. “We have a rodeo arena with 1,500 seats. We have a ballroom that’s called the Mackey Great Room, and then we have an exhibition hall, expo hall that we can house livestock shows, trade shows, even some banquets in that room itself too.”
Milbourn said the vision behind the project extended beyond simply building another event venue. “The purpose of the building was not only that northwest Oklahoma needed a venue to house different events like this, but also it was designed to help spur on economic development,” he said. “It’s a wonderful facility. We’re just getting the ball rolling and getting started with it, and we’ve already seen, with the limited events that we’ve had so far to date, we’ve already seen some of the economic impact ramp up.”
Built for Agriculture and Multiple Events
One of the facility’s biggest advantages is its ability to host several large events simultaneously without interference. “I think it’s the versatility that we have,” Milbourn said. “We could have three really separate events go on at the same time.”
He pointed to a recent example where the center hosted the Southern Plains Grassland Summit while maintaining space for other major activities. “We had a Southern Plains Grassland Summit, where they had speakers from all over the country come in and talk about rangeland management,” he said. “But we could have a full-blown rodeo going on at the same time and still house that summit.”
Milbourn believes that flexibility makes the Salt Fork Arena unique not only in Oklahoma but across the region. “I think that’s what makes this facility just a wonderful state-of-the-art facility for this part of the state, but really all over the country.”
A Home for Livestock, Rodeo and Young Producers
Although the center can accommodate weddings, trade shows and banquets, Milbourn said equine events and agriculture will be the primary focus. “The building is really prime for agriculture and rodeo,” he said. “Rodeo is a big part of the culture in northwest Oklahoma and surrounding states, and so we’re going to key up on getting events that will have that kind of a background to it.”
He also expects the facility to play an important role in developing the next generation of agricultural leaders. “It’s going to be very important,” Milbourn said. “It’ll be a gathering place for education. It’ll be a place to showcase the livestock for the young producers that are coming up in the agriculture industry.”
He added that the arena will provide opportunities for livestock and equine events while giving area residents another venue for entertainment. “It’ll also be a facility that has events that people in this part of the region, this part of the country, really support and go for entertainment.”
Driving Local Economic Growth
Milbourn said events hosted at the arena will create benefits that extend well beyond the facility itself. “You have direct and indirect economic impact whenever you have that,” he said. “People coming from all points to events that we have here, they’re going to shop at the local businesses. They’re going to stay the night in the local motels, and they’re going to end up spending their money.”
According to Milbourn, those dollars continue circulating throughout the community. “Economists say that money rolls seven times in your community,” he said. “So for every dollar that’s spent here, that equates to about $7 in economic impact to our community.”
Grand Opening to Showcase the Facility
The arena’s official grand opening Friday, August 7th will feature a barrel racing event designed to highlight one of the facility’s biggest selling points—its equine arena. “It’s a barrel racing grand opening,” Milbourn said. “With any facility, you have to build a reputation. Barrel racers like to have good, solid footing when they’re running their horses, and so this will be one that gets to showcase what type of facility we have.”
The celebration will also include a ribbon-cutting ceremony and public tours. “We get to have the ribbon cutting of the building, which will also incorporate tours of the facility,” Milbourn said. “If locals and people from all points haven’t had a chance to see the building, they can come in and just see how nice of a facility it is, all tied into one event, which we’re really excited about.”
For those interested in hosting an event, Milbourn encouraged people to contact the Salt Fork Arena and Event Center directly. “Give us a call,” he said. “Any one of us will answer and get you directed to where you need to go.”
- (580) 732-4011
- https://saltforkarena.com
- Salt Fork Facebook
