The 2023 Blaine County Fair is a wrap!

By Steve Edwards

BCJ News

The 2023 edition of the Blaine County Fair is completed. Major fair activity began on Wednesday when participants brought fair entries for 4-H competitions and hobbyists and artists brought general entries for judging. Two nights of PRCA rodeo followed, then a Saturday night stage show and a final day of Kids' Rodeo. In between those major events fairgoers could enjoy free carnival rides, shop at vendors' stalls in the Commercial Building, look over animals and exhibits and, of course, enjoy a variety of fair foods.

A couple of themes were noticeable this year. First, a break in the normal hot weather likely increased the number of fair visitors. A couple of minor "weather outbreaks" occurred that may have affected one night of the rodeo and the run up to the night show on Saturday, but weather during the fair was better than normal. And everyone responsible for making the fair happen praised the help from sponsors, who provide financial support for the fair, to volunteers who show up to work at the fair. Here are some details about the fair and how things went this year.

Most measures of the fair's success were up this year

4-H competitions are a major part of how a fair kicks off each year. Trent Noel, with the Blaine County Extension Service FCS and 4-H, said the numbers of entries for both "indoor competitions" and animal-related events were up. "One trend," he noted, "is participants are bringing more entries per individual than they have in the past the number of entrants has not changed much recently."

Trent said the 4-H animal sales brought regular buyers and several new ones. That helped increase sales proceeds to the competitors. As to judging, he said, "We got lots of positive compliments on the grass show ring our volunteers helped put in last year. We also had more shade available and all that made for a better environment during the showing events."

The free carnival also drew increased numbers of riders and gamers. The "inflatable adventure amusements" were popular with "kids" of all ages. Pippi the Clown was on hand to do her regular gig and always drew a crowd wherever she set up her fun for kids. Fair Manager Debbie Ramberg commented she received lots of comments on how tidy the carnival area was. She credited her "crew of kids" for keeping the litter picked up and the trash barrels emptied.

Over at the Commercial Building there were twenty-one booths. Manager Ramberg said there were a couple of new exhibitors and most all sellers had good sales. Roy Case, the birdhouse maker, said he sold out early of the houses he'd made for the fair.

Food vendors I talked to all agreed they did at least as well as last year and, in some cases, had one of their best years. Most food booth managers believed the more moderate temperatures helped their business. One new possibility with food booths is the effort by the 4-Foundation to try to air condition their Chuckwagon eatery.

Major events showed renewed attraction to fairgoes

The PRCA-sanctioned Bear Paw Roundup rodeo celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary this year. The rodeo had two good nights of competition and audience attendance, with Friday setting an all- time record for fans in the stands. Bear Paw Rodeo President Dennis Kleinjan said, "This year's rodeo overall was a huge success!" He appreciated all the good sponsors and also thanked Moxley Construction for increasing the purse money. That increased prize money drew more big name competitors and Kleinjan added, "That put us up there with the big time rodeos. Our sponsors made all that possible."

In an earlier run up story about this year's fair the "Journal" ran an article about the Black Widow Groomer purchased by the Fair Foundation. The groomer is a high tech machine designed to maintain and upgrade arena floors where equine events are held. Kleinjan commented during this year's rodeo he received a lot of compliments from competitors about the condition of the arena. "The new groomer was a big part of that improvement," he added.

Fair Manager Ramberg said the Saturday night stage show was "awesome." The goal to sell at least 400 tickets was met, a major accomplishment despite a little "weather dust up" before the night show that might have turned some folks away. She added, "Darryl Worley is a nice, genuine person and that came through in his performance." Ramberg is confident there will be more night shows at future fairs.

Per Jenny Buck, one of several adult volunteers running this year's Kids' Rodeo, "Despite the changes in the day and time of the rodeo we attracted more than 100 participants. We started at 11am and were done about 5pm, much improved from the nights when the rodeo ran in to the wee hours of the morning." She, along with her husband Travis, Paige Raty and Meagan Welsh are leading the newly formed Blaine County Rodeo Team.

Jenny thanked the members of the new Rodeo Club for selling the sponsorships that assured the rodeo was held. One change that helped shorten the Kids' Rodeo was limiting each entrant to only three events, a change from years past. Jenny said, "This shortened the time but also might have reduced the number of contestants." She added this was a "learning year" and feels future Kids' Rodeos will follow a similar format.

Conclusion: the 2023 fair was another great one

Most everyone I spoke with agreed this fair was one of the better ones if not the best in recent memory. Weather was, as always, part of whether a fair is successful or not, and this year it helped the turnouts for events.

This year brought a new event that both raised money for a project to improve the fair and showcased volunteers. The "Pie a board member" program gave visitors to the fair a chance to vote for a fair board member, the winner of the contest would get a pie in the face at the Saturday night stage show. Fair board members are also volunteers and this little game hit both themes that make a fair successful-sponsors (money raisers) and volunteers (those who make the fair happen).

Board member Loren Skoyen won the contest and got the pie in the face as promised. From the start of the contest Loren, per a Facebook post, was the leading candidate. His selection raised $1000+ toward some new bleachers in the grandstand where old ones had to be removed over safety concerns. Thanks, Loren, for "taking one for the team."