HAVRE, Mont. (NMB) – The Great Northern Fair Board gathered on Wednesday afternoon for their monthly meeting and provided a debriefing on how last week’s Fair went.
Although detailed numbers will not be available until their August meeting, the Board says that this year’s Fair was a major success, with large crowds, particularly on Saturday, and that record numbers of tickets and beer were sold.
Board Member Bob Kaul said he would like to give a massive thanks to the community for helping make events at the Fairgrounds possible.
“I can’t say thank you enough to this community, because they support everything that goes on up here. They’ve been behind it and I think they are starting to see what it’s doing, but we have more to do.”
The Board also talked about what they would like to see happen at the Fairgrounds before next year’s Fair. Their number one priority is replacing the bathrooms on the west end of the Fairgrounds by the Community Center. This was supposed to be done before this year’s Fair, but materials were not received in time. They also are working on putting new dirt and fans in the Bigger Better Barn in the next month or so and also are planning on rehabilitating the bathrooms in that building to make it handicap accessible.
When it comes to the horse barn, the Board says that they need an engineer and contractor to take a look at it to see if it can be repaired, or if it needs a total replacement.
Longer-term goals, the Board said, includes revitalizing the Lower Arena and building grandstands that face to the east so the sun isn’t an issue for spectators in the afternoon and evening.
Dates for the 2023 Fair have not been selected. However, Board Member Ken Erickson said that he would like to see it in mid-July again.
“We’ll get together with the carnival owner first. And hopefully we can keep it the same times so that we’re not moving things and bouncing around.”
Frank English said the Midway West Amusements Owner, Michelle Jensen, told them they have first priority for scheduling them for 2023.
Midway West has run the carnival for two straight years at the Great Northern Fair.
