MY TURN: An exceptional fair

I was treated this year to a visit to the North Idaho State Fair and Gem State Stampede. I am a fair manager from a very small fair in the Sierra Nevada area, and am the chairperson for the Western Fairs Association; a trade organization for county fairs across the 13 western states. Each year, our association chooses a fair to tour, and as the chair, I selected your fair in Coeur d’Alene.

I see many fairs in my position, and while all fairs are special to me, I felt your community should know how exceptional your fair is. Most noticeable is the fact that your fairgrounds are located front and center in the heart of your community. Oftentimes, fairgrounds have been relegated to the outskirts of towns, which only serves to further distance the population from a facility that actually binds a community together. From what I sensed from my visit to Idaho, it is not a stroke of luck your fairgrounds are where they are. State pride and common sense accomplished that. 

Secondly, Coeur d’Alene has been blessed with a management team that is one of the best I’ve ever met. Your manager, Alexcia Jordan, is a professional leader with a passion for what she does. Producing a fair, let alone operating an event facility like yours, is a daunting task. Hundreds of fair managers across the country do so with impressive results, but your fair manager does so with exceptional results. Her attention to detail, creative programming, ability to motivate and manage dozens of volunteers and staff, stay focused on the mission of the organization AND smile throughout 15-hour days is beyond reasonable expectations. I came across dozens of examples that enhanced the attendee experience, that could easily have been skipped. She did not. Alexcia Jordan is one of the best fair managers I’ve met. 

Having one of the best leaders in the industry would be enough, but North Idaho also gets to boast of a highly engaged fair board. I have never seen so many members of a fair board do so much and be so dedicated to their fair, as it should be. These people were acting like paid staff, beginning with Chair Jerry Johnson, putting in long hours, humbly doing their own tasks with the single goal of making the North Idaho State Fair the best it can be. Any other fair manager would be envious of the dedication and involvement of your fair board. 

Finally, let me offer some perspective. There are many fine fairs in Idaho. I have attended the Boundary County Fair and visited the Bonner County Fairgrounds and the Benewah County Fairgrounds. Your Bonners Ferry event has jaw-dropping competitive exhibits and yet, there is not a carnival in sight. My point is that there is no such thing as the “best” fair, but how good a fair does with the resources available to it. All three of these small fairs bat way above their average, putting together the best event for their communities. The North Idaho State Fair has hit a grand slam. I’m proud to be in an industry that includes events like yours, and I hope your community is proud of their outstanding event.

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John Steffanic is fair manager of the Plumas Sierra County Fair and chairperson for the Western Fairs Association.