Wednesday, May 1, 2024
OKANOGAN – The 77th annual Okanogan County Fair is a half year away – Sept. 5-8 - and the Fair Advisory Committee (FAC) is hard at work planning and preparing for one of the county’s flagship events.
At its regular monthly meeting on Feb. 1, the FAC addressed topics from admission and camping fees to events and maintenance.
The FAC approved a request from the new fairgrounds manager, Chuck Ford, to order the updated version of ShoWorks and the 2024 license to go with it. On its website, fairsoftware.com. ShoWorks describes its product as “the most popular exhibitor and entries management software used by…state and county fairs across North America…to process registration, judging, premium payouts and auctions for all types of entries.”
Some fees will see an increase this year, including:
Ticket prices for veterans, first responders, and senior citizens remain at $5.
Ford is also working on grant applications for fairgrounds funding.
Changes in how groups of school children must be supervised during their Thursday Fair Day visit were addressed with the emphasis that previous walkie-talkie monitoring is not sufficient.
The popular mutton bustin’ will be among kids’ events this year after the Fair earlier received the green light from county risk manager Shelly Keitzman to host its own version. The FAC approved the purchase of safety vests and helmet equipment for the young riders and discussed insurance coverage for the event.
Rodeo options remain under discussion while the committee looks for someone to head up the rodeo subcommittee. The fairgrounds has new corral and chute facilities and has hosted past Pro-West Rodeos. The type and duration of this year’s possibilities remain on the fence. A previous meeting included a variety of suggestions for other events, including:
Racing committee chair Carol Sivak said she has agreed to go with Horse Nations again this year because of the strong following they attract. Sivak said she also wants to apply some surplus funds to set up a racing 501(c)3 nonprofit called OK Equine Fund.
Kid’s Zone chair Laura Sorensen said the Bouncy House will be back, and she is working on a Friday Power Wheels event. Power wheels are small battery-powered ride-on vehicles popular with kids.
Oroville High School sophomore and 2024 Fair Queen Lexis Duarte reported on her progress in designing the official pamphlet cover and her goat barn refurbishing project.
A reliable and consistent water source for the fairgrounds has been an FAC concern raised by some members. The county has been awarded a water grant indicating that a new potable well is planned to augment existing drinking and irrigation water needs.
The FAC is currently short three members, and with 16 standing committees, some vacancies are in need of volunteers. Interested parties can contact the Board of Okanogan County Commissioners at 123 Fifth Avenue N., Suite 150, in Okanogan, 98840 or call 509-422-7100.
The next FAC meeting is at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 7, in the Okanogan County Commissioners Hearing Room, 123 N. Fifth Avenue.
Mike Maltais: 360-333-8483 or michael@ward.media
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