Lake County Fair reps attend Sanders County Fair meeting

The Sanders County Fair Commission held their monthly meeting last Monday and though they addressed business as usual, there was a somewhat unusual tone to the agenda as well.

Two Lake County representatives were in attendance inside the Sanders County Fairgrounds pavilion - Lake County extension agent Jack Stivers and chairperson for the Lake County Fair Board, Sjaan Vincent. Stivers asked questions throughout the meeting and during the public comment session, both Stivers and Vincent discussed their questions and thoughts with Sanders County Fair manager Mike Hashisaki and the members of the commission. Vincent had nothing but praise for the Sanders County Fair and its organizers. She said Stivers' and her presence at the meeting was to take away any knowledge they could from the board members.

“We're just here to take some notes and listen,” Vincent said. “You guys have a terrific fair; it's an event. Our kids come and we really enjoy it.”

She said the Lake County Fair board is working out the details of a new fairgrounds that was recently purchased and will be shared with multiple entities. She said now is a vital time for Lake County to make decisions about the future of their fair.

“With our new ground coming, we have to wake up and be ready to grow,” Vincent said. “We just feel the more we know, the better off we are. We need all the information we can get to make the best decisions.”

Stivers echoed Vincent, saying they were looking to open up discussion with Sanders County to see if there was anything they could learn.

“We were there for an exchange of ideas,” Stivers said. “We wanted to begin dialogue and see if there are any enhancements we can take direction from them on.”

Hashisaki said Stivers' and Vincent's presence is evidence they want to start off right with their new facilities.

“I think they came to us looking for ideas,” Hashisaki said. “I think what they're trying to do is take the first steps in developing a good facility the entire county can use and enjoy and they want to do it right.”

Hashisaki said the Sanders County Fair is viewed by people around the area as an example of how a fair should be run. He said the fair attracts people from Missoula and Kalispell as well as Lake County and get lots of visitors from out of state.

“Most our people come from northern Idaho, eastern Washington and southern Canada,” Hashisaki said. “It's because we do it right most of the time.”

Hashisaki said the Sanders County Fair has come a long way since his first year as manager. He said that when he started 16 years ago they had about 17,000 visitors and this year the commission is anticipating somewhere around 40,000 to 45,000 visitors. Hashisaki said the reason for the growth is the upgrades they've made while keeping the grandstands and the midways and preserving the feel of an “old-fashioned country fair.”

“There's that flavor,” Hashisaki said. “That Norman Rockwell flavor.”

But besides the fair's Rockwell-like Americana, Hashisaki said it offers other things that cause it to stand out, such as large areas of green grass. He said the Sanders County Fair is also one of the few fairs left that does not charge admission at the gate. He also said the county gets a lot of use from of its fairgrounds throughout the year.

“When I first came here, it was used four days out of 365,” Hashisaki said. “Now it's used over 200 days out of the year.”

Stivers said the reputation of the Sanders County Fair spans beyond its immediate neighbors. He said all of Western Montana looks to the fair as an example, along with eastern Idaho.

Board members sitting in last Monday's meeting included chairman Glen Magera, Chris McGuigan, Bruce Icenoggle, Hashisaki, and secretary Ruth Hamilton. They answered Stivers' and Vincent's questions and brainstormed ideas with them. McGuigan told Stivers and Vincent that they had to ask themselves what mattered to the county.

“What it comes down to is what do you guys want to offer?” McGuigan said. “What do you want to provide?”

Hashisaki said Lake County already offers an impressive 4-H fair. Vincent acknowledged that they do have a youth-focused fair with an emphasis on young people. She said it's important that county fairs still offer a view at the agricultural sector of America.

“The county fair is one of the very last places where we can showcase agriculture,” Vincent said. “We need to remember that.”

Vincent said there are lots of interested and passionate people involved in the Lake County Fair. She said there is potential for growth for the fair and the new fairgrounds. She said the key is to know how to guide in the right direction and it can be beneficial to work with neighbors in doing so.

“It's nice to have a good rapport with your neighboring county fair,” Vincent said. “You guys do a lot of things right.”

The dialogue and idea-exchange is open between the two counties and their fair boards. Vincent said Lake County's aim is to figure out how they can best serve the community and make the fair fun. She said they will most likely be back visiting Sanders County again to take more notes and engage in more discussion.