Before fair week begins and the Clay County Fairgrounds in Clay Center becomes full of activity, the Clay County Fair Board is getting ready behind the scenes.
A couple of weeks prior to the fair, board members go out to the fairgrounds and look everything over, making sure electricity is working, animal stalls are ready, panels are set up, and show arenas are prepared as needed.
Fair Board President Jared Brockman said they went out to the fairgrounds June 27 for their annual check. They also opened the horse stalls making them wider, and put down wood chips in other areas where animals would be.
Wayne Peshek mows at the fairgrounds, so once he’s done, board members scour the ground for any possible holes, and adjust accordingly.
Oftentimes, Rob Crumbliss and his wife will powerwash the sheep and hog area, as well as most of the horse barn.
Fair Board Vice President Craig Griess and his kids take care of the cattle barn, getting it ready, also.
Away from the fairgrounds, members are making calls to get sponsors for the fair, including at the annual bull riding event on Wednesday of the fair.
Brockman said the contract for the bull riding event is sent out right after the fair season is over, and due to the intense schedule the bull riding company has, the county and the company keep Wednesday open for Clay County’s fair.
Brockman said bull riding is a nice family event, one they hope to continue welcoming back.
Thursday and Friday evening’s schedules depend on the Ranch Rodeo company. Each year, Clay County is second in line for scheduling, due to the company having a long-standing contract with another fair prior to taking Clay on.
After the first fair decides which day they prefer— Thursday or Friday—Clay County gets the other day.
Once the Ranch Rodeo night is chosen, Family Fun Night is then scheduled for the opposite evening.
The inflatables company that comes to the fair each year contacts the fair board and asks if Clay County wants them to come during that year’s fair.
After a usual “yes,” the board tells the company to bring whatever inflatables/ rides have been most popular with families.
As soon as the fair is over and families pack up their projects and leave, the fair board starts cleaning everything up, taking panels down, storing trash cans and fans, and fixing anything that needs fixing.
The only thing they don’t necessarily clean are stalls used by 4-Hers during the fair—the kids are responsible for those.
They won’t winterize the fairgrounds until after Old Trusty, so once their list is complete, they have a little break before anything major needs done.
While a lot of work goes into setting up the couple of weeks prior to the fair—and clean up after—preparing for the fair actually starts months in advance.
Brockman said fair board members will have meetings starting in January and then every month except November, to make sure the fairgrounds stay nice and are ready for any events that may take place.
“The fairgrounds are getting used for more than just the fair,” he said.
FAIR BOARD
This is the first time in a while the fair board is full, with 12 members and almost everyone has a kid or grandkid involved in 4-H.
Fair board members include: Brockman, Griess, Crumbliss, Deanna Peshek, Lindsey Hinrichs, Megan Brockman, Lance Schutte, Ryan Musgrave, Matt Caldwell, and Mike Kiolbasa.
Livestock superintendents are: Brett Nunnenkamp, Beef; Angela Menke, Sheep/Goats; Griess, Swine; Gary & Susan Rohrer, Rabbit/Poultry; and Hinrichs, Horse.
Hinrichs is the newest member to the livestock superintendent list, having taken over for Lyndsay Schlick. Prior to Schlick, Cindy and Doug Felber served as the superintendents for about 15 years, before retiring from the position.
PROJECT
This year, Leadership in Action applied
for and was awarded a grant to do a project at the fairgrounds.
At first, they considered adding handrails to the grandstands, but when that didn’t work out they went a different direction.
Between the show arena and horse barn, a new awning has been placed, creating a shady place for participants and onlookers to stand while waiting for their turn in the ring—or simply to enjoy some shade from the often hot, sunny fair days.
