What has become of the fair?

September 3, 2015

Last year as I left the Sanders County Fair at Plains I promised myself to write a letter to the editor regarding the changed emphasis of the Plains Fair Board.

Up until 20 years ago the fair focused on the rather homogeneous rural agriculture, timber and small business population. Many were from large extended families that had family members that settled in Sanders, Lake, Mineral and Flathead Counties. They made an annual family get together pilgrimage to the fair. Many from further away such as Missoula and Kalispell camped in the west end of the grounds for free. The campers were either extended family members or participants in fair activities such as exhibits, rodeo or the demo derby. It grew to a large number so the fair board decided to charge for camping in order to furnish health and safety needs.

It is my opinion that this generated enough income to cause the fair board to change from

serving the local population to a revenue generating focus. The board decided to charge for parking. At first I didn’t mind as they had lots of free handicap parking on the county road in front of the fair ground or if you paid the five dollars you could be parked in the park/parking area as you enter the north gate.

So about 5 years ago I arrived and no handicapped parking in front so I paid the money expecting to be parked in that area. Instead that area was taken by the fair board for exclusive parking for their good old boys circle and I was directed to an area to the south west immediately behind the grandstands. It was very rough ground with high cut grass. I got my walker out, put my spare oxygen tanks in the basket on the walker and struggled thru this rugged ground to arrive at the rear of the carnival area and then struggled thru that to enter the common social area east of the concessions. It was a rough trip so the next year I arrived earlier so I could get a spot at the east entrance of the fair ground. I did this for the next four years.

Last year I arrived to find there weren’t any handicapped in the front anymore. The fair board in their revenue focus changed them all into special permit parking at 15 dollars. I became mad and decided I would head home. As I got to the north end of the bridge a car pulled out of the free parking there so I decided well struggling across the asphalt surface would be far easier then parking on the rough ground they charged for. So I parked and went across the bridge with my oxygen and walker. When I got to the south end of the bridge I noticed car after car coming down with special permit parking mirror hangers and no place to park.

The fair board so over sold them that they had to park in back anyway. To me that is greed.

I entered the east entrance of the fairground with old kidneys that needed immediate relief knowing they always had port a potties north of the exhibit building, at the east entrance or among the concessions. Last year the board cancelled that. So I struggled with my walker back to the old smelly unimproved permanent rest rooms without dribbling. Thinking this fair board sure has lost its focus regarding the handicapped and elderly.

Also the fair board at Plains increased their concession charges and the once volunteer operated stands were competing with out of the area concessions. One youth group that I always supported quit. They told me why should their youth work and get very little for their efforts with the fair board getting most of it. These groups contribute lots back to their communities.

Well thanks and I hope you publish this regardless of the length as I found many other elders have quit the fair. We don’t generate enough revenue for them.

Sincerely

Roy Burton, Jr.