Christmas starts with a bang at fairgrounds

Christmas season started with a bang at the Sanders County Fairgrounds, where the Annual Fairgrounds Lighting, and its accompanying fireworks display, was held last Sunday, Nov. 21.

The event featured the lighting of the fairground’s Christmas display, which consisted of hanging lights, decorated trees, lighted ornaments as well as a fully-lit model Nativity scene. Attendees of the event were treated with live music, hot dogs and cake inside the 4-H Pavilion. The building also provided a place for families to warm up after venturing outside to see the lights. Halfway through the event, Santa Claus made an appearance, arriving by ATV-drawn sleigh.

“Lately it’s been Warren Wickum,” said Mike Hashisaki, Fair Manager and brains behind the event. “This year he built a sleigh, because until now it’s been a horse-drawn surrey, but he wasn’t able to shoe his horse with the necessary shoes for this kind of weather, and so he is going to drag his sleigh behind an ATV.”

For Hashisaki, inspiration to hold this event came years ago.

“We were sitting around one October, and I looked at the flagpole and I said, ‘That would look pretty as a Christmas tree,’” Hashisaki said. “And that’s how it started, 16 years ago.”

At first, the event started small, with the only piece of decoration being the flagpole decked out as a Christmas tree. But over time, the decorations became more numerous. At this point, Hashisaki is undecided whether or not he’ll keep expanding.

“The nice thing is we’ve run out of outlets, so we’re maxed out,” Hashisaki said, “except we’ve switched to LEDs, so now we can really load up.”

Hashisaki has continued to seek to improve the event over the years. In the past, the gathering was located near the house on the fairgrounds, so attendees would congregate and eat their food outside. Now, Hashisaki has decided to take advantage of the pavilion for the event.

“As a matter of fact, last year was the first year we had it in here, and we looked at one another and wondered, what took us 14 years to figure out that there was heat in here and there wasn’t out there?” Hashisaki said.

The event itself is supported by several different organizations. The Fair Foundation purchases all the lights for the event, as well as all of the figurines. The Fair Commission pays for the utilities needed for the event, most of all electricity. In addition to providing the lights and decorations, the Fair Foundation also provides all of the food at the event. However, the cakes have been donated by Ron and Deb Warren for the last three years. The Arts Council and the Fair Foundation work together to hire the band.

The event concluded with a fireworks display, adding to the already well-lit event and kicking the Christmas season off with a bang.

No car traffic was allowed at Sunday night’s event, because Hashisaki wanted the event to be conducive to families walking around and enjoying the lights. However, the fairground gates have currently been opened for people to drive through and see the lights. The lights come on at dusk until 9, every night through the first of January.

For Hashisaki, part of the enjoyment of the event is in the preparation.

“The most enjoyable part is when we start putting the decorations up,” Hashisaki said. “We start right at the end of September. Two weeks after that, by the middle of October, I am into the ‘bah humbug’ phase, but then we turn them on and everyone enjoys it.”

Every Friday and Saturday night leading up to Christmas, the Plains Lions Club will come out from 6 to 8 p.m. and play Santa Claus, and they will give away candy canes, which the local VFW Post provides. Hashisaki stated that in support of the event, if an individual wanted to donate cash, that would go to new decorations next year, but he would prefer that people donate non-perishable food items for the local food bank.

According to Hashisaki, the responses of attendees is most rewarding.

“What I love is that you can watch the little kids, and even older people, and see how much they enjoy it,” Hashisaki said.