Lip-Smackin’ Colorado Barbecue, Football Game Mark Annual Ag Day at Colorado State University Sept. 14

Colorado State University on Sept. 14 will celebrate the state’s rural heritage with annual Ag Day events, a 21-year tradition at the university. The all-day celebration includes a barbecue consisting of food grown in Colorado, displays and activities.

The band, Kyle Yates and the Morning Star, will provide live music and K99 will broadcast live at the barbecue, which runs from 4:30-6:15 p.m. at Hughes Stadium on Overland Trail between Drake Road and Prospect Road. The barbecue is followed by the first Colorado State home game as the Rams take on the University of Louisville at 7:30 p.m. The game will be televised by ESPN2 and broadcast on 1410 KIIX radio.

The traditional Ag Day barbecue features food grown in Colorado including lamb, beef, pork, beans, potatoes, corn-on-the-cob, apples, ice cream, homemade wheat bread, melons, milk, pop and beer.

Proceeds from Ag Day benefit Colorado State students through scholarships and funding to support educational programs at the university. The event was founded by Colorado State alumni to celebrate agricultural heritage and to familiarize Coloradoans with the state’s extensive agricultural history.

Agriculture consistently ranks among the top three industries in the state in terms of economic contributions. Last year, Colorado farms and ranchers provided more than 86,000 jobs and $4.4 billion in agricultural sales to the economy. The majority of Colorado’s farms are privately owned, and 10.9 million acres of Colorado’s 66.4 million total acres are in farms and ranches. Nationwide, farmers and ranchers provide food and habitat for 75 percent of the nation’s wildlife. The United States also produces the greatest abundance of food in the world.

Ag Day is sponsored by Colorado State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and Colorado agricultural organizations.

Tickets for the Ag Day barbecue are $12; joint tickets for the barbecue and the football game are $30. For Ag Day ticket information, call (970) 491-7805.