Broadwater County Fair Board elects chair, approves role swap and outlines fair vision

At a recent Broadwater County Fair Board meeting, members elected Taylor as chair for 2025 and confirmed Karen as vice chair; the board also approved a role swap placing Val on public relations and Sheila on vendor coordination. Board members discussed a proposed community survey to guide the fair's future, current 4‑H and open-class outreach, entertainment booking options and persistent parking and camping pressures near the fairgrounds.

The board's new leadership will guide planning for the 2025 fair and related events. Members discussed hiring or commissioning a short community survey (one-page option offered through a Missoula program) to collect fairgoer priorities and said they would pursue cost estimates before making a commitment.

Discussion and decisions

Elections and role changes: The board nominated and approved Taylor as chair for 2025 and confirmed Karen as vice chair by voice votes. Later in the meeting members moved and approved a personnel/role change that assigns Val to public relations and Sheila to vendor responsibilities; the motion passed by voice vote.

Survey and community input: Board members reviewed an option offered via a group in Missoula that would produce a one‑page survey for fairgoers; the presenter said the vendor’s price would likely be “roughly under $1,000.” The board discussed cheaper alternatives (Google Forms/Microsoft Forms), university class projects and collaborating with county staff to share or adapt an existing county survey. Members agreed to gather cost estimates and consider low‑cost or volunteer options before deciding.

Outreach and open class: Board members said open class entries have fallen (one speaker said entries were down “about 80” from the previous year) and discussed using additional communication channels — including Facebook, 4‑H newsletters, leaders’ meetings and the county’s text‑message service if available — to improve participation. One board member volunteered to visit 4‑H workshops to encourage youth to enter open class and offered to assist with early check‑in.

Entertainment and budget considerations: The board reviewed options for midway and stage entertainment and noted booking constraints and rising costs. Examples discussed by members included a balloon entertainer (quoted by a presenter at $1,200 per day with a three‑day minimum), a regionally known act (a presenter said the price could rise toward $7,000 depending on timing) and a raptor show (presenter cited roughly $2,000 per day with multiple daily shows). Members emphasized that large, out‑of‑town acts often require hotel and staging resources that increase total cost; several members said past Wednesday‑night concerts drew limited attendance and that charging admission is possible only for events staged inside the arena.

Parking and grounds: The board raised parking and overflow camping as recurring constraints. Members said the main overflow field used for parking and camping is city‑owned land leased to a rancher and made available to the fair weekend by agreement; because the county does not own that parcel, access is subject to others’ decisions. They reported that the city plans a water tower on part of that leased land and requested staff follow up with public works to confirm timeline and any construction that could conflict with fair weekend use.

Rentals and operations: The rentals report listed multiple upcoming events for the fairgrounds (funerals, 4‑H activities, archery, swine and beef workshops, ATV ride, graduations, weddings and a multi‑day rodeo rental). Staff said they are preparing a renter binder with contacts and troubleshooting steps for on‑site maintenance issues and will consider adding an experienced local contact to the list.

Next steps and scheduling: The board set follow ups to collect survey cost estimates, get entertainment availability/prices for the fair weekend, and ask city/public works about the water‑tower timeline and effects on overflow parking. The board selected a February meeting date to continue planning.

Votes at a glance

- Minutes approval — approved by voice vote; counts not specified. - Election of Taylor as board chair for 2025 — approved by voice vote; counts not specified. - Election/confirmation of Karen as vice chair for 2025 — approved by voice vote; counts not specified. - Motion to table fair board rules until February meeting — moved and seconded; motion tabled. - Motion to assign Val to public relations and Sheila to vendor coordination — moved, seconded and approved by voice vote.

Ending

Board members said they will gather cost estimates and availability for the survey and entertainment options, coordinate with county staff on outreach and parking questions, and revisit these items at the board’s February meeting.