Fair Concessions Group contemplates its future

This year’s Sanders County Fair might be the end of an era for a group of men, women and children who have been a popular staple at the fair.

The Sanders County Concessions Group traditionally has more than a dozen food and drink booths at the annual festival, but this year it had only one, said Don Burrell, president of the nonprofit group, who added that he is disappointed in the way the fair commission has slowly pushed the organization out. Burrell said the group used to pay 20% of the take, but now have to pay 20% of the net, which is the same as the profit vendors at the fair.

Burrell said the fair board’s only goal is to make money regardless of how it impacts the nonprofit organizations. “They don’t care about the local nonprofit groups at all, they just want to make money for the fair to make themselves look good,” said Burrell, who is also upset with the county commissioners for not stepping in to help. “We don’t get any backing or help from the commissioners. As long as the fair’s making money that’s all they care about,” he said.

Two years ago, the group had about 15 booths selling a variety of food and drink. They had eight and a half booths last year. At one point, there was a waiting list of county organizations wanting to be a part of the concessions group at the fair. Burrell said the lone booth this year was operated by four organizations — Plains Woman’s Club, Thompson Falls Grange and two churches, Gospel Mountain Assembly of God Church of Thompson Falls and New Life Fellowship — selling pop and bottled water. Burrell said that each group manned the booth one day. “When you gotta put out more money to hire people than you’re bringing in, and you pay the fair board on top of it, and you’re going in the hole, it’s just not worth,” said Burrell, a Thompson Falls resident.

“The fair board and commissioners are making it so it’s not a local county fair, which is what it’s supposed to be,” said Larry Rivinius, who had been the concessions group president for 10 years before turning it over to Burrell. Randy Woods, chairman of the fair commission, said the booth rental costs were changed several years ago in an effort to be fair to profit and nonprofit vendors. “They could have just been good business people and raised the prices to make a profit,” said Woods, who added that the concessions group had six or seven booths reserved in June, but three weeks ago changed it to one, prompting the fair manager to scramble to get the others filled.

However, neither Rivinius nor Burrell put all the blame for the concessions group's demise on fair officials. Burrell said it’s a different generation of members. Those in the organizations are older people. “Many members can’t do it. We need younger people to step and help us out with these booths,” said Burrell, who has been a member of the Thompson Falls Grange for some 20 years. “A lot of these organizations are made up of older people and none of the younger people want be part of these organizations to keep them going,” added Burrell, who took over as president from Rivinius six years ago.

The Sanders County Concessions Group was created in the 1940s, possibly by the late Lyman Miller. It was made up of nonprofit groups that raised money specifically to put back into the community for such things as scholarships and for those who needed help. Kathy Miller, Lyman’s daughter, used to help out when she was a teenager. “Dad hired me to be his supplier. If one of the concessions needed something — burgers, ice cream, etc, it was my job to go and get it,” said Miller, who spent several years with the Cancer Network of Sanders County helping those diagnosed with cancer.

Rivinius said that having the concessions group a part of the fair is important. “We need to have the nonprofits there so they can continue to raise money that they need for a lot of projects that benefit this county,” he said.

Burrell also said the group is important to the community; without assistance from organizations in the group, some people would go without help. And for most of the participating organizations the fair concessions was their biggest or only fundraiser. “It is sad because you don’t see these nonprofits at the fair anymore and the communities are suffering,” said Burrell, who added there might not be any concessions group after 2022. “We’re going to see how it goes this year and see whether we can get some of our booths back,” he said.