Blue ribbons all around

By DEVIN WEEKS

Staff Writer

The North Idaho State Fair and Rodeo swept at two recent conventions, bringing home national and international recognition.

At the Rocky Mountain Association of Fairs (RMAF) convention, held in Utah from Nov. 13 to 16, the North Idaho State Fair earned six awards — second place honors for general fair photo and for competitive exhibit handbook; and third place for promotional poster; fair logo; fair event guide; and fair animal/people photo.

"We placed top three in every single category that they offer an award for, which is pretty incredible because we’re up against some big dogs, like the Nebraska State Fair, North Dakota State Fair, Western Idaho Fair in Boise and the Montana Fair," North Idaho State Fair marketing and sponsorship manager Brittany Teverbaugh said Wednesday. "It’s really exciting, especially since we’re such a small crew working with volunteers to get all of this together. It’s exciting to see our fair get recognition amongst our peers."

During the International Association of Fairs and Expositions (IAFE) convention and trade show in San Antonio, North Idaho went even bigger, winning 25 awards in competitive exhibits, communication, non-fair facilities and agriculture. North Idaho's fair earned the coveted "Excellence in Ag" gold trophy for a newly established program to promote agriculture, which is the interactive Farm Park.

"It's hands-on, and all aspects of fair — careers in agriculture, production of plants, production and harvest of animals, germs," said fair general manager Alexcia Jordan. "It's something that's evolved over several years."

Jordan said a huge part of North Idaho State Fair's mission is "to stay true to our rural and agricultural roots."

"It's great to show that to our community," she said. "I think it's important to teach about agriculture, not just from a livestock perspective, but also teaching about how our food gets from the farm to the table.

"Our board takes a personal interest in making sure that remains a heavy piece of what we do here at the fairgrounds," Jordan continued. "The fact that what is considered a small fair gets this type of recognition for the work we’re doing really proves the amount of effort we put forth is important."

Barbara Renner, a past fair manager and member of the IAFE Hall of Fame, said North Idaho's fair has been recognized on an international level for quite some time. Renner also helped found the North Idaho Fair and Rodeo Foundation nonprofit that supports and raises funds for the fairgrounds.

"We’re very well known throughout the United States," said Renner, who attended the international convention. "I couldn't be more proud of our fair staff and the job they did in the presentations they made this year at the conventions. They did sweep the honors, which I was very proud of."

Aside from collecting awards, fair staffers are keeping busy.

Jordan has accepted the role of Northwest District Director for RMAF, which includes Washington, Idaho and Wyoming. Jordan is also taking on the role of chair for the 2020 Non-Fair Facilities Committee for IAFE and has joined the 2021 Convention Program Committee.

Teverbaugh graduated from the Institute of Fair Management at this year's IAFE Convention and is on committees for programming, advertising and public relations.

Jordan and Teverbaugh have taught classes and led group discussions at different conventions, covering topics such as farm to table/three-acre parks, fair foundations and sponsorships.

At the IAFE convention, Jordan was also honored to present a scholarship in the name of her mother, Rhonda Livingstone, who was the past general manager of the Bonner County Fair. The recipient of the Rhonda Livingstone Dream Big Memorial Scholarship was Carolyn Morely from the North Central Washington Fair in Waterville, Wash.

Jordan gave a shout-out to the fair board, the foundation and the rodeo committee for their dedication to making North Idaho's fair something to be proud of.

"These people love what we do," she said. "They give countless hours of their time, and their dollars to help us with various projects that we wouldn't be able to fund on our own."

Teverbaugh said the awards are validation for hard work and jobs well done.

"We hope the community feels a sense of pride with this recognition because it is a community fair," she said. "We love and appreciate the input and the hard work from the volunteers and community members."