Fair manager looks back at county fair

Fair manager Cash Duncan said that the new vendor row was a hit. He heard this from fair goers and the vendors.  Thanks to an electrical upgrade, electricity was easily available to each vendor, meaning no power cords stretching across the grassy picnic area. 

Positive feedback was also given about the free stage lineup and the location of the stage this year. The mechanical bull was a favorite. 

Duncan said weigh-ins went well.

“I had really good office help to make sure that it went smooth, really good people running our ShoWorks system,” he said.

He also had high praise for Security State Bank, which made the payouts and calcuttas “super smooth.”

This was the first year Duncan worked the office portion of the fair. He had been on the outdoor crew for years.

“I never got to see the kids who won buckles come in so excited,” he said. “Because I was in the office more, I got to see the excitement more.” 

He is pleased with the ATV/BIKE barrel racing at the demo derby, noting, “People liked it. It went smooth. We had about 15 volunteers that helped me. All of them were super helpful.”

As far as the derby itself, Duncan said the Christopherson family was very helpful, even though they didn’t run the derby themselves. He called them with a lot of questions, and they were easy to work with. 

This was the first year holding a ranch rodeo. In a ranch rodeo, each team competes in five events.

“We had teams all the way from Worden, Montana, maybe further,” he said. “We had a bunch of Wyoming teams. Everyone was happy with the turnout and the payout. It was super slick.” 

CHANGES FOR 2025 

“One of the main things I learned is, if I want to have family friendly events, then I have to make my event tickets a little more family friendly,” Duncan said, “adjusting the price of my tickets to make sure a family can afford to come and enjoy the event and enjoy the food.” 

The fair book was a challenge. Next year Duncan said he would add another layer to the proofreading and input.

“This was my first fair book. Making sure that I get all the info that is wanted and needed in the book was hard,” he said. “So next year I would like to add members of the public that are very involved and know fair to be a part of the process. Their input along with the boards could minimize mistakes.” 

Lastly, Duncan expressed appreciation for the board, the junior livestock sale committee, the judges, superintendents, vendors, participants and the like.

“To quote Gretty (Gasvoda), it takes everybody helping everybody,” he said.