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Ag Fair organizers ask board to research $7,285 equipment waiver and options to sustain open class
Summary
Park County Ag Fair volunteers proposed waiving about $7,285 in equipment rental fees and asked the Fairgrounds and Parks Board to study options to sustain open class judging after organizers described declining entries and roughly $3,000 in premiums paid annually.
At the March 11 Park County Fairgrounds and Parks Board meeting, the Ag Fair liaison summarized requests from the Ag Fair Board seeking help to reduce costs for the public-facing portion of the fair.
The Ag Fair Board proposed waiving rental fees for equipment the fair typically pays to rent during the fair; the liaison reported that the total of those rented items was $7,285. The Ag Fair Board also identified costs tied to the open-class program—printing, fair-book production, judges, premiums and related labor—and estimated that those elements represent a larger line item, which the liaison described as roughly $12,530 in potential savings if fully absorbed elsewhere.
The liaison described declining participation trends: around 300 total item entries historically but recent year counts presented as (for 2022–2024) 101 entries, 97 entries and 97 entries in one recitation, and separate exhibitor counts listed as 487, 499 and 436; the liaison said premiums paid to entrants hover near $3,000 annually. The transcript phrased these counts inconsistently; the board asked for clearer, committee‑vetted data.
Options discussed included having MSU extension take over judging, reducing open-class categories, temporarily suspending open class to recruit volunteer leadership, or having fairgrounds absorb some rental costs. Board members and commissioners said more detail is needed before a recommendation can be made: they requested a breakdown of the $7,285 equipment rental list, fundraising history, and analysis of how any waiver would affect the fairgrounds’ operating budget.
MSU extension representatives have been in preliminary talks with the fair and were mentioned as a possible partner to handle judging; board members suggested scheduling a meeting with MSU extension and Veronica (an extension contact) to clarify what duties they could assume.
No formal motion to change funding was passed; the board’s committees were asked to research options and return with recommendations ahead of the county’s accelerated budget cycle.
