Fair Board prepares for Aug. 30-Sept. 2 event
PRCA tie-down roper Matt Shiozawa put on a great performance during the rodeo at last years fair-he currently sits 13th in the world standings (Erin Jusseaume/Clark Fork Valley Press)
There’s no doubt the bulls had a blast as they bucked off cowboys like Elliot Jacoby during the Thursday night bulls and barrels performance at the Sanders County Fair (Erin Jusseaume/ Clark Fork Valley Press)
Sharon Wilson was crowned Sanders County Citizen during one of the rodeo performances last year (Erin Jusseaume/ Clark Fork Valley Press)
Comedy clown Cody Sosebee rode his chariot into the arena keping the crowd in stitches of laughter during last years fair as he went through costume changes and even a very entertaining dance routine (Erin Jusseaume/ Clark Fork Valley Press)
4-H Clubs are set to return to the show ring to show off their animals at this year’s Sanders County Fair. (Clark Fork Valley Press file)
The Sanders County Fair Board recently met for its monthly meeting ahead of the 2018 Sanders County Fair, and they are well on their way to make this year’s event bigger and better.
Bingo is set to return this year and will be set up next to the 4-H Pavilion under the shade of a tent for locals to take a break and have some good old-fashioned fun. This year, it will be the Knights of Columbus nonprofit local organization from Thompson Falls that will help everyone enjoy a game of Bingo.
Another item on the list up for discussion was the restructure of fair parking. Fair board members have been tackling the parking since the end of last year’s fair — aiming to make it more efficient for fairgoers.
The board is still currently in negotiations with a local landowner for the lease of their pasture for extended reserved parking. With smaller details still being viewed, the board said at the meeting they are one step closer to once again securing the pasture to make for easy and close parking for fairgoers. The proposed lease for the week of fair will be able to accommodate up to 500 parking spaces.
Fair Manager Chris McGuigan broke news to the board that the Shiners have stepped down from their fair involvement.
The group had conveyed to McGuigan that due to numbers they would be unable to help with the gates at the fair this year.
McGuigan said the group would be missed as they had been a part of the fair for so long. He also said that the fair had begun negations with the local Plains Lions Club to take on those gate duties.
Though the Lions are known best for their involvement with the demolition derby on Sunday night, this would open up another great opportunity for the group.
No confirmations of the Lions Club taking on the gate ticketing duties have been made at press time.
Juli Thurston of Sanders County 4-H spoke briefly at the meeting, updating the board of the recent project that 4-Hers completed on the grounds.
The fair had donated 40 gallons of paint for the kids to use to revamp the sheep and pig barn with a fresh coat of paint.
Thurston said the project was a success. She also began to organize what other jobs local kids have to be prepared for as they lead up to fair and readiness day next month.
Fair Vendors
Fair vendors for food are just about sold out, according to McGigan. With an abundance of choice for fairgoers this year, he said there were only three spots left to fill.
When it came to commercial vendors, numbers are up from last year.
With last summer’s fire season adding a bit of heat, some vendors were unable to make it to the grounds, with the fair only seeing 57 vendors of the 62 spots sold.
This year looks to see upwards of 70 vendors set up to sell products during the week of fair.
The board this year has been working hard to ensure there is enough variety for fairgoers to enjoy, and an opportunity for vendors to make some money.
So far, there have had many meticulous discussions between board members and the fair manager to ensure that products sold by vendors aren’t too much hassle with direct competition.
Tickets
The new digital buying system is set and going for this year’s fair. With the introduction of the Vendini system, those looking to purchase their fair tickets will now get tickets and parking passes that have scan codes printed on them.
Just like many fairs around the country, and even concerts, tickets that you purchase will have a scan logo on them — so no more ticket ripping when you pass through the gate.
This will be the first year that the fair will move to a digital ticket-styled system. With that they are working closely with the ticket vendor to ensure that all tickets sold are as easy as it can be.
All tickets sold through the system include parking passes. Pre-purchase of day and week parking passes is being encouraged.
Just like the event tickets, the parking tickets will have a scannable code printed on them. One reason this came about is because of the duplicates the had been made by some people in the past. It is also an easy way for the fair to get an accurate number of passes sold, and how many people attend.
Moving toward the new digital platform is a step closer to getting full accurate numbers and hopefully slimming the lines down as people can quickly scan their way into parking and the events.
For fair tickets, including parking passes, you can purchase online or at the fair office.
Summer Jobs
The fairgrounds also has a few employment positions available. One is a summer groundskeeper to help keep the grounds up to scratch and tidy.
This is a temporary position and perfect for the high schooler that is aiming for some summer job money.
The fair is also looking for a couple of ticket agents to help during fair, and one position before fair.
Anyone interested in the jobs can find the details on the Sanders County Job Service website.
The next Sanders County Fair Board meeting will be held at the fairgrounds in Plains on Aug. 15.