With only some 1000 people attending the carnival at Montana Fair on Friday there was plenty of room for social distancing.
With about a thousand people attending Montana Fair’s sneak- peak on Friday and over 1500 each day, Saturday and Sunday, Metra Park and fair officials were pleased with the first weekend of the 17 days of carnival and fair. Stretched out and scaled back Montana Fair is proceeding this year, making accommodations for concerns about COVID-19 and the need to wear masks and social distance.
During the Metra Park Advisory Board meeting on Tuesday there were predictions for greater attendance this weekend, and even more when Montana Fair enters its regular annual week. Normally an eight-day run, this year Montana Fair is being extended to 17 days, in order to “flatten the curve” for fair attendance. Each day of the Fair is being limited to 3,000 people on the grounds at any given time, and advance reservations and ticket sales are being encouraged so that people do not have to stand in line.
Bill Dutcher, manager of Metra Park and Montana Fair, spent time all three days at the sneak-peak of the Fair and said there were no unexpected situations, and it was pleasant to see “the biggest smiles on faces.”
“We knew it was going to be low key,” he said, but it was nice to see ticket sellers and rovers and other staff, many of whom had not been working since March. “People are interested and asking questions,” said Dutcher about the unfolding of the event.
Dutcher said he especially enjoyed the fair food, giving a detailed description of the wood-fired pizza, s’mores and funnel cakes.
Sam Merrick, Food Services Director, said that while there is some re-shuffling and re-scheduling going on among the food vendors, there will be at least 15 food vendors during the fair.
Charlie Loveridge, board chairman, said he was impressed with the cleanliness and disinfecting efforts he witnessed. He said that the bathrooms are being cleaned and thoroughly sanitized every hour on the hour. Carnival workers, too, were very impressive with the dedication they are giving to keeping the rides disinfected, he said. And, there was plenty of room for social distancing.
Loveridge thanked the staff for all their hard work, often for events that get cancelled or postponed. It must be frustrating, he said, to so often see nothing come of your hard work.
Ray Massie, marketing director, reported that they are setting up for the 4-H livestock and other aspects of the full-fledged fair, including bands and other grounds entertainment. Schedules for the fair are now available.
Carnival and food vendors will be in full operation again this weekend beginning Thursday, July 30, 4 pm – 11 pm, and beginning at 2 pm on Friday, July 31 through Sunday, August 2. The full-fledged fair begins Thursday, August 6 through Saturday, August 15.
During the fair a booth will be available in which the public can peruse the proposed Master Plan for Metra Park, and people may weigh-in with their own preferences regarding the options being considered for the future of Metra Park.
The County Commissioners wished Metra Park staff well with Montana Fair. Commissioner Denis Pitman commented that they are getting a lot of comments, pro and con, about the fair. He said, “Nobody is forcing anyone to go to the fair.” He added, “We are learning a lot. It is a great opportunity to be learning from what we are doing.”
Commissioner Don Jones reminded everyone that during the normal week of the fair there will be many more events going on, including noted music bands and “a lot of exciting stuff.”
Commissioner John Ostlund reported that the removal of the Grandstands is about a third completed and will be completed after the Fair. Also, after the fair, construction will begin on the new stalling barn, by S Bar S, which was awarded the bid to build it. The new barn will re-place small aging livestock barns.
