Fair board looks ahead

The Sanders County Fair Board met last week to review the 2018 Fair and Rodeo, and the feedback and financial reports were mostly positive.

The fair brought in just under $240,000 this year. While additional expenses were being approved at the fair board meeting on Wednesday, the fair board, manager and county commissioners were confident that the Sanders County Fair and Rodeo would end the year ahead financially.

The fair board meeting offered the board a chance to critique this year’s fair. One issue of confusion for fair goers this year was a new ticketing system. A new computer program offered a one-stop shop for purchasing tickets to fair events and entering projects online, the board did hear some complaints of a $2 processing fee that was added on to tickets, as well as some issues with dispersing money won by fair entrants. The fair board was excited about the new program and the convenience it offered fair participants and patrons and is looking at ways to improve the system for next year.

The hot summer weather over Labor Day weekend had medical volunteers addressing lots of bee stings. Fair manager Chris McGuigan reported that the bees were bad at the fair this year, “even as much as we sprayed.”

Katie French also reported that some counterfeit $20 bills were circulating at the fair. She said that the bills looked and felt the same as the real deal but had the words “motion picture association” on them. Similar bills were reported in the Flathead area last month. Ronan Police Department officials had said the prop money was used in movies and sold online.

Plains Lions Club President Duane Highcrane said that the demolition derby was successful this year, even with only 15 cars. Entertainment between derby heats helped keep the crowd excited. Highcrane said that there are 14 derbies in Montana, and none of them are getting the big crowds that they used to. He said the main thing is getting the word out about the derby, and fair board member Wade Rehbein suggested advertising earlier in the year at other derbies in the state to attract more participants.

County extension agent Juli Thurston said that as far as 4-H, the fair went really well this year. She said more buyers signed up for the 4-H market sale than in recent years. Thurston did say that a cooler went out in the 4-H pavilion, causing about $1,750 in food to spoil. McGuigan said he suspected a power surge caused a breaker to trip and the cooler to quit working. He said fair staff will look at improving the power to the pavilion and some of the concession booths before next year’s fair.

Kathy Gregg with the Sanders County Fair Foundation said that while sales in the beer booth were down about $600 from 2017, the booth still brought in $12,302.99. While the majority of the funds go to the foundation, the fair also received $2,460.60 of that. Gregg said that the foundation this year helped pay for the new computer program and a holding tank installed just before the fair, as well as replacement flags for the fairgrounds.

While pre-sales of wristbands were down about 40 this year, McGuigan reported that rodeo ticket sales were up for each event this year. McGuigan reminded the board that tickets for those age 10 and under are free, and the fair does not track those, so the actual attendance was up even more than the numbers show. The rodeo (Thursday bull riding and rodeos Friday and Saturday) brought in $65,737.65 in revenue over the three days, and the demolition derby on Sunday earned $68,547.41. The next largest revenue source for the fair was parking, at $47,857.13. Parking prices did go up at the fair this year.

The fair board noted that Paradise Amusement, who provided the carnival for the fair for the first time this year, had good, clean rides. McGuigan said there were a couple of incidents with the carnival crew, and that he is reviewing to see whether the fair should renew a contract with Paradise Amusement next year.

Next year’s Sanders County Fair and Rodeo is scheduled for Aug. 29 - Sept. 2, 2019.