Broadwater County fair organizers report higher entries, parking strains and equipment costs after 2025 event

Broadwater County Fair Board members on Sept. 11 reviewed the 2025 fair, saying open-class entries rose substantially, the rodeo broke Saturday attendance records and parking and water-supply problems will shape next year’s planning.

At the meeting, the open-class superintendent reported "double the entries" compared with the prior year and described strong building interaction around a jean‑quilt exhibit. The superintendent and other board members said the commercial building struggled to attract walk‑in traffic and discussed new ideas — a “fair passport” of vendor stamps, more under‑tent activities on Saturday and outreach to school art programs — to increase time-on-site for families.

The rodeo coordinator told the board the rodeo had a record turnout on Saturday and that organizers saw far more spectators than in prior years. She said an expanded crowd prompted renewed discussions about parking options, including use of offsite fields and potentially bussing spectators in, because the county will not be able to use the airport parking area…