The smell of fresh funnel cakes fills the air. The Ferris wheel is in full swing. And live music can be heard for miles.

This can only mean one thing: It's time for the 2017 Colorado State Fair.

From comedy to country to classic rock, this year's concert lineup is an eclectic mix.

Here is the concert schedule for this year's state fair:

Friday (Aug. 25): Gabriel Iglesias, 7 p.m. Southwest Motors Events Center, $39-$47.

As part of the appropriately named "FluffyMania World Tour," the ever-popular stand up comic and television star Gabriel Iglesias returns to the Colorado State Fair as he marks his 20th year in show business.

Known comically as "Fluffy" due to his portly size, Iglesias told The Chieftain, "It feels great coming back to Colorado."

Iglesias said local fans can expect "new stories, more about my family and my son Frankie -- more stories that I hope people can relate to about parenting a teenager."

After two decades in the business, Iglesias said performance remains the most important part of the gig.

"Performing is still my number one passion. It's not just a job; every city is different and I am beginning to enjoy performing at fairs," he said. "It's very different from performing at theaters or clubs. There is nothing routine about performing with sights of rides and the smells of fair food in the background."

Friday (Aug. 25): Joe Diffie, following 7 p.m. PRCA Ram Rodeo in Budweiser Rodeo Arena/Grandstands, $25.

With decades in the business and charts, Joe Diffie is regarded as a working legend in the country music industry -- a new traditionalist in the style of George Jones.

Diffie, 58, started his successful and lucrative career in 1990. From then until 2004, he charted an amazing 35 cuts on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, including five No. 1 singles: his debut release "Home," "If the Devil Danced (In Empty Pockets)," "Third Rock from the Sun," "Pickup Man" (his longest-lasting No. 1, at four weeks) and "Bigger Than the Beatles."

From the Salt Lake City Tribune: "He maintains a rabid fan base that attends his shows and begs him to play their favorite songs. He writes songs for himself without worrying about whether or not it will be the next big thing and he can hold onto the feeling of being considered unique in a genre that he said is becoming oversaturated by the same sounds."

Saturday (Aug. 26): Brian Howe, following 7 p.m. PRCA Ram Rodeo in Budweiser Rodeo Arena/Grandstands, $25.

This English singer-songwriter got his big break when Ted Nugent tabbed him to sing lead on the 1983 album "Penetrator," and front a subsequent world tour. But it's with Bad Company, replacing the legendary Paul Rodgers, that Howe earned his musical bones.

After a moderately successful debut record with Howe, Bad Company recorded the well-received "Dangerous Age," which spawned the hits "No Smoke Without A Fire," "One Night" and "Shake It Up."

The band's next record, "Holy Water," written mostly by Howe and Terry Thomas, was enormously successful both critically and commercially, attaining Top 40 and platinum status.

The album spun off the singles "If You Needed Somebody," "Holy Water" and "Walk Through Fire." Howe is not shy about his past hanging with some bad company.

"It's solo, but I'm billed as former Bad Company singer Brian Howe. Because of that billing of course, which I'm not too ashamed to admit, I play Bad Company songs," Howe told ytsejam.com. "It's a pretty good show, it incorporates songs that I wrote with Bad Company with some old songs. It's a good package and it's really fun; every song is a hit."

Thursday (Aug. 31): Gary Allan, 7 p.m. Southwest Motors Events Center, $32-$42.

One of modern country music's best-loved singers and hit-makers, Allan returns to Pueblo after a solid performance at a recent Bands in the Backyard festival.

"We always enjoy playing in Pueblo," Allan told The Chieftain. "We have a lot of fans in the area and they always show up ready to party and have a great time. We actually shot a video in Pueblo several years ago."

As for his Fair set list, Allan said the hits will be unfurled.

"We just went through rehearsals about a month or so ago and reworked the set list. I always feel like you want to go to a show to hear the hits, so I don't want to let them down. You can expect to hear the radio hits, the fan favorite album cuts and a few new things."

As well as the songs Allan particularly loves.

"Right now I love playing my current single, 'Mess Me Up.' I've been playing it since I heard the demo a couple of years ago and it always gets a huge crowd response," he said. "I also love playing 'It Ain't The Whiskey.' That is one of my all-time favorite songs -- a song I could have written."

Sept. 1: ZZ Top, 7 p.m. Southwest Motors Events Center, $45-$50.

A legendary trio whose musical resume speaks for itself:

"La Grange;" "Waitin for the Bus/Jesus Just Left Chicago;" "Tush;" "Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers;" "Heard it on the X;" "I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide;" "I Thank You;" "Tube Snake Boogie;" "Mexican Blackbird;" "Pearl Necklace;" "Cheap Sunglasses;" "Gimme All Your Lovin;" "Sharp Dressed Man;" "Legs;" "Got Me Under Pressure;" "Rough Boy;" "Stages;" "Sleeping Bag;" "Give it Up;" and "Viva Las Vegas."

ZZ Top last performed at the Fair in 2004 to a capacity crowd.

"A mere 13 years ago but unforgettable," guitarist and vocalist Billy Gibbons told The Chieftain. "It was totally rockin' and we're fixin' to rock Pueblo again in a potent and powerful way."

This time out, Gibbons said fans should expect to hear "songs you think you know and songs you never knew. If you wanna hear 'Tush,' 'La Grange,' 'Sharp Dressed Man,' 'Legs' and all the others, we're absolutely delighted to lay 'em out.

"We do favor a few perhaps less obvious, more obscure songs, to be sure."

After more than 40 years in the biz, Gibbons said taking to the stage at this juncture is more important than ever.

"We really do enjoy connecting directly with the generations that continue coming out to rock the house with the band. We live off that energy and we do our best to give it back ... only a little bit louder.

"It's a thrill a minute out there on stage, no doubt."

Sept. 2: Skillet, 7 p.m. Southwest Motors Events Center. $32.

A hard-rocking versatile quartet with a Christian message, Skillet consists of husband John (lead vocals, bass) and wife Korey Cooper (rhythm guitar, keyboards, backing vocals) along with Jen Ledger (drums, vocals) and Seth Morrison (lead guitar).

The band has released nine albums, two receiving Grammy nominations: "Collide" and "Comatose." Along with "Comatose," "Awake" sold at least 1 million copies, thereby earning platinum status.

Eclectic as a skillet filled with an array of ingredients, the band's style has been described as Christian rock/metal, alternative rock, hard rock, nu metal and even symphonic metal.

"Even people that were okay with Christian music were sometimes not okay with Skillet because we were quite loud for the Christian genre," John Cooper told mindequalsblown.net. "Our lyrics can tend to be dark, edgy and honest in a certain way that maybe the Christian market wasn't ready for.

"That's still around today but not as much as it was then. It took us quite a long time to gain people's trust."

Sept. 3: Hunter Hayes, 7 p.m. Southwest Motors Events Center. $27-$37.

Bro-country upstart Hunter Hayes' self-titled debut album reached No. 7 on the Billboard 200 and hit the top slot on the Top Country Albums chart. The 2011 disc was eventually certified double platinum and its biggest, most successful single, "Wanted," has sold more than 4 million copies.

That notable achievement made Hayes the youngest male act to ever top the Billboard Hot Country Songs. And in 2012, "Wanted" earned Hayes, 25, the American Country Music awards for best single by a new artist and best music video by a new artist.

"For every record you hear, there were 100 songs written just to get 10 on the record, in the hopes that one of you guys will hear something tonight that feels like home," Hayes has been known to tell his appreciative concert crowds. "I hope you hear something tonight that really means something to you, and if you do I want you to take it and make it yours. Because it is yours. It's your music as much as it is ours."

Sept. 3: (Fiesta Day) Los Invasores de Nuevo Le�n, 9 p.m. Budweiser Rodeo Arena. $25.

Performing after the 7 p.m. Celebraci�n de Los Charro, this Mexican band was founded in 1978 as a Norte�o quintet, led by Lalo Mora and Javier R�os.

During the 1980s and '90s, Invasores de Nuevo Leon would become very popular on both sides of the Texas-Mexico border, with many of their songs still played on radio to this day.

The more beloved and well known hits are "Laurita Garza," "Rafael Caro Quintero," "Ni Dada La Quiero," "La Costumbere" and "La Vieja Banca."

Cumbias, ballads, rancheras and boleros are always well represented, anchored by that omnipresent accordion.