The Boundary County Fair Board is seeking new funding sources to sustain popular events and upgrade aging facilities.

“There are things here that just need to be updated,” said fair manager Jaycee Atkins. “With the budget that we're currently sitting on, we have been trying to do one project a year, but the cost of materials has skyrocketed.” 

In early December, the board brought in a contractor to evaluate fairground facilities. The contractor recommended replacing part of the aluminum roof in the indoor arena that is no longer intact, leaving it exposed to outdoor elements. 

At the Dec. 9 fair board meeting, the board also discussed the need for upgrades to the ventilation system in the indoor arena, improving power hookups to bring in more vendors at events, updating the sound system throughout the fairgrounds, adding on to the grandstand, and other desirable improvements. 

“They want us to update all of this, but they also want us to put on a really great fair. And all that costs money,” Atkins said. 

The fairgrounds receive about $120,000 in annual funds from the county, and about a third of that goes toward just a handful of days in August when the county fair takes place. 

To generate more funding, the board is looking to host more ticketed events, bring on more sponsors and apply for grants. 

On Jan. 4 at 8 p.m., the fairgrounds will host a new event called Boots and Bling, a party to celebrate the new year, with tickets for $25 each available at the fair office and at the door the night of the event. The board also is set to approve a summer concert series, with Copper Mountain Band already slated to perform. Tickets will not be too expensive, at about $15 each, Atkins said. 

Through sponsorships, the board earned extra money for the 2024 county fair that it was able to spend to bring in an America Ninja Warrior trailer and a putt-putt golf course. Atkins said the goal is to bring in even more sponsors this year. 

The board reached a consensus at its December meeting that the facilities themselves should be put for sale to sponsors, with the goal of reaching a multi-year sponsorship agreement, targeting larger corporations like Super 1 Foods and Anheuser-Busch. 

For improvements to the outdoor arena, Atkins is in the process of writing grant applications for upgrades to the grandstand and lighting system. BNSF Railway provides a grant that would go toward substantial facilities upgrades. 

Another new source of revenue could come if the fairgrounds become a licensed alcohol vendor, which the board is also working to accomplish. 

Though the fairgrounds get most of its attention during the summer months, its staff is hard at work in the off-season to sustain and improve hallmark community events.

“Our fairgrounds are such a staple to Boundary County,” Atkins said.