Make it your fair

Alexis Barker
NLJ Reporter
 
Planning and preparations for the 2019 Weston County Fair, July 26 through Aug. 4, are well underway, according to fairgrounds manager Kara Fladstol. This year, the board and Fladstol are hoping to make the fair more inclusive and bring the entire community together at the fairgrounds. 
Part of making people feel like they have a stake in the fair began with the 2019 fair super meeting, to which Fladstol invited the community. She also turned to Facebook to conduct a poll for the 2019 fair theme. 
“Some of these ideas came from me posting on Facebook about picking a fair theme. We wanted something that related to Weston County coming together, where Weston County used to be and where we are going,” Fladstol said. 
The result is the four themes that the community has chosen: Weston County Fair: Where Weston County Comes Together; Red, White and Blue: This Fair’s For You; A Fair With Roots and Room to Grow; and Country Pride, County Wide. 
“We have always solicited ideas and then the fair board picked the theme,” Fladstol said. “One of the things I am trying to do out here (at the fairgrounds) is make sure that everybody feels like they have a stake in fair, that they have a reason to come and are welcome here,” Fladstol said. “That they are a stakeholder in what we have going on, whether they are from Upton, Newcastle or Osage – from the country or if they live in town. It doesn’t matter; the fair is for everybody.” 
The “fair super meeting” is a major way the fair board and fairgrounds manager kick off fair preparation. The main focus of this meeting is to bring the superintendents for the different events together to give them an update on deadlines and changes, according to Fladstol. 
“Superintendents are our most valuable volunteers, and it takes close to 60 of them to run fair every year. They are in charge of everything, from preparing for the contest or show and taking care of the event during fair. Everything from helping pick the judges to reevaluating the fair book and rules every year falls on those volunteers,” Fladstol said. 
According to Fladstol, she had put the call out for any interested volunteers or superintendents to come to the meeting to engage them in the events.  The board is hoping this year that they can engage some assistant superintendents to take over the ropes in the future, she said.
Good candidates for superintendent or assistant superintendent, Fladstol said, are honest and fair people who are organized and able to take time off during fair week. 
She noted that it is helpful that superintendents have knowledge of the subject they are superintending, although it is not necessary, especially for the assistants. 
“At the super meeting, we had several new faces. For example, the Weston County Arts Council has decided to superintend the Open Class Visual Arts and Photography Division,” Fladstol said. “We have new superintendents in both the open and junior horse shows.” 
“Also, I have had a great response from community members offering to volunteer at fair but don’t have the time to take on being a superintendent or assistant superintendent,” Fladstol said. 
This push to involve the community to a greater extent is not necessarily about getting new people to participate in fair, and very competent volunteers have the fair “down to a science,” Fladstol said.
“However, for our fair to grow and to be a community wide event, it is in our best interest to make sure everyone feels welcome and participates,” Fladstol said. 
Fladstol said that she and the board were hoping to entice younger people to volunteer because some long-time superintendents hope to retire in coming years. 
New programs and events have also been added to the lineup in hopes of bringing new people to the fairgrounds to enjoy the activities throughout the week. 
“We have some really cool stuff coming up. The Friends of the Fair are partnering with me on an ambassador program,” Fladstol said. “We will pick two high school students to be fair ambassadors. They will do interviews with the paper and radio hopefully, as well as do social media promotions. They will spread the word about fair and also do fair tours. They will represent the Weston County Fair as . . . our finest youth.” 
She added that the two selected ambassadors will each receive a $500 scholarship. 
The Friends of the Fair, according to Fladstol, also hopes to engage the community through a scavenger hunt involving Facebook and the hashtag #WCF2019. 
“There will be clues every day about different things going on, and if they solve the clue, they take a picture at the answer, tag the fairgrounds and hashtag the picture,” Fladstol said. “Those people will be entered into a drawing each day, and one of those entries will win $100.”
“We are still looking for sponsors for a lot of new ideas,” Fladstol said. “Depending on what I can find for sponsors, I am hoping to have the equivalent of a free stage to provide entertainment on stage in the park between events. People would have something to do at the grounds while they are waiting.”
Fladstol said that she is also considering a cornhole tournament if she can find a sponsor. 
The most exciting new thing coming to the 2019 fair, according to Fladstol, is the free Wi-Fi across the fairgrounds, sponsored by Collins Communications. 
“We will have high-speed internet in the Four Seasons Arena, the livestock barn and campground, in the Weston County Events Center and out of the office building,” Fladstol said. “This will be a huge help because our entry program is all web-based. With this Wi-Fi, we will be able to live entry all results and people will be able to find out fairly quickly how they did.” 
Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer, superintendent or sponsor should contact Fladstol at kara@westoncountyfair.com or by calling 746-8806.