Beer and wine will be sold during the two days of horse racing planned at the upcoming Northwest Montana Fair, the Fair Board decided Thursday.

Alcohol sales will be handled the same way they were last year, with horse-racing organizers working with a licensed vendor to sell beer and wine only during the races, Fair Manager Mark Campbell said.

The alcoholic beverages will be sold from about noon to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 20-21, in a secure grassy area between the Country Kitchen building and the grandstand. Security personnel will staff the area to check identification and make sure patrons are of legal age to buy alcohol.

Last year, alcohol sales during the horse races brought in close to $10,000, and the fairgrounds’ commission was $2,300, Campbell said.

“The intent is to keep the operation similar to last year, no more than before,” he said.

No alcohol-related issues were reported in connection with last year’s beer and wine sales, Campbell said. In fact, the operation was so low-key that many fair patrons didn’t realize alcohol was being sold on the grounds.

The proposal to offer beer and wine at the fair drew opposition from a few county residents who testified during an earlier Fair Board meeting that they believed alcohol sales shouldn’t be allowed at what is billed as a family event.

Historically the fair has been dry, with no alcohol sales occurring.

Campbell said recently that if the board approved the sale of alcohol, he wants to create a separate account in the fair’s budget for the profits and use that money to make improvements to the fairgrounds.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by email at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.