Upgrades planned at Grant County Fairgrounds
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 6 years, 3 months AGO
An upgraded sheep barn and an all-new bathroom were among the construction projects at the Grant County Fairgrounds last summer. More upgrades are planned for the coming year, according to fairgrounds director Jim McKiernan.
Courtesy photo
Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience serving small communities in the Pacific Northwest. She began her post-high-school education at Treasure Valley Community College and enerned her journalism degree at Oregon State University. After working for multiple publications, she has settled down at the Columbia Basin Herald and has been a staple of the newsroom for more than a decade. Schweizer’s dedication to her communities and profession has earned her the nickname “The Baroness of Bylines.” She covers a variety of beats including health, business and various municipalities. | December 17, 2019 11:34 PM
Increased accessibility for people with limited mobility
MOSES LAKE — Grant County Fairgrounds officials have planned upgrades for access for people with limited mobility, including more ADA-accessible parking.
Fairgrounds director Jim McKiernan said officials plan to pave a section of the parking lot outside the blue gate and add barriers to restrict non-ADA parking. Improvements also are planned for the field where food vendors set up, McKiernan said. That will include a paved walkway designed to make it easier for people using wheeled transportation to access the area.
Other improvements are planned, McKiernan said, including new signs at the blue and green gates. A new reader board is being added in the Ardell Pavilion.
McKiernan updated Grant County Commissioners on some of the plans for 2020 during Tuesday’s meeting. A food booth that had been operated by the Moses Lake Eagles is being remodeled into a space for Grant County Fair volunteers and entertainers working at the fair.
Among the changes to that building will be the addition of air conditioning, McKiernan said. In answer to a question from commissioner Richard Stevens, McKiernan said air conditioning also is being added to the Ag building.
The fairgrounds also will have more beer gardens, McKiernan said. Commissioner Tom Taylor expressed some concerns, saying the existing beer garden didn’t seem that busy at the 2019 fair. McKiernan said beer garden operation is being revamped, and in 2020 may include food options.
Spanish-language signage will be added at the fairgrounds, part of the effort to attract more Spanish-speaking fairgoers. McKiernan said fair officials are looking for more Spanish-language entertainment as well.
Upgrades are planned for all campgrounds on fairgrounds property, which are used all spring and summer. McKiernan said fairgrounds officials plan to hire a camp host. The campgrounds have the potential to attract more campers during the summer, McKiernan said, and asked for additional funding to promote them.
Stevens asked about fair entertainment, and McKiernan said fairgrounds officials are considering the idea of sponsoring a concert, with admission to it included in the price of fair admission.
Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at [email protected].
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