Carnival tickets on sale for Northwest Montana Fair

The Northwest Montana Fair and Rodeo is scheduled for Aug. 19 to 23 at the Flathead County Fairgrounds and will feature a carnival produced by Montana-based North Star Amusements. New this year, fairgoers pay for rides with pre-purchased points that are loaded on their phone or other mobile device. Points can be purchased in advance on the fair’s website at www.nwmtfair.com. North Star Amusements will also sell reloadable point cards at carnival kiosks during fair week.

Regardless of whether they buy the points online or at a carnival kiosk, customers can customize the number of points they purchase. Each carnival point costs approximately 70 cents, depending upon the quantity purchased. Rides cost from two to five points. Points are good for the duration of the fair and do not have to be used on the same day. The point system replaces the Pay-One-Price ticket model previously used at the fair.

Fairgrounds manager Mark Campbell said North Star Amusements has stringent sanitization measures in place to protect the health of guests and workers. All rides and touch points will be sanitized between uses. Hand sanitizer will be available at the entries and exits of all rides, and handwashing stations will be located throughout the carnival area and fairgrounds.

Admission onto the fairgrounds is a separate fee at the gate and costs $8 for adults and teens, $5 for seniors ages 65 and over, and $5 for children ages 6 to 12. Children ages 5 and under are admitted free of charge. Fairgoers can save money by purchasing admission tickets between Aug. 10 and 18 at any Whitefish Credit Union branch in Kalispell, Columbia Falls or Whitefish during normal banking hours. Advance admission tickets are $5 per person, regardless of age.

For more detailed information about the carnival and other events planned for this year’s Northwest Montana Fair and Rodeo, visit www.nwmtfair.com.