State Fair commission hears of improvements to fairgrounds

HURON – New roofs for the Family Living Center and Expo Center are two of the improvement projects now under way on the state fairgrounds, members of the South Dakota State Fair Commission were told Tuesday.
Assistant Manager Candi Briley briefed the commission on a long list of projects, many of which have been completed or are nearly ready to begin.
Earlier this spring, 30 additional electrical pedestals were added at Gate 13. The new asphalt mat for the carnival has been completed, and construction is expected later in the year to repair the Open Beef Barn roof.
Also, some campus-wide bathroom repairs have begun. Some will be finished prior to the State Fair and some will be done afterward.
Construction has begun on Food Court electrical, counters and doors. Briley said a campus-wide electrical service study has been mostly completed, but the contractor will return during the State Fair to test the loads in an effort to get best results.
The Grandstand will celebrate its 100th birthday next year. A structural study has been done every two years for the past several years and earlier this year a long-term repair study was done.
“As a result, they have begun some renovations working on replacing some of the concrete and steel beams,” Briley said.
It is phase one of a multi-year project.
Meanwhile, commissioners cast their ballots for this year’s winner of the Bob Duxbury Award.
Commissioners, State Fair staff and members of the Duxbury family vote. The winner’s name is kept secret until the award is presented during the State Fair.

The Bob Duxbury Award has been presented annually since 2006 to honor a dedicated Friend of the Fair, who has given years of service and dedicated support.
Duxbury, the first recipient of the award, served as a commissioner
Other award winners have been Larry Gabriel, former secretary of agriculture; Edgar Goehring, horticulture superintendent/4-H; Eugene Jaycox, 4-H fair exhibitor/rabbit department employee; Warren Lotsberg, commissioner and current commission chairman; Oliver Zimmerman, shuttle driver for 41 years; Bill Poppen, 4-H and fair exhibitor/sheep; Earl Giedd, long-time security employee; Leanne Gutormson, volunteer; Verla and the late Carl Lindblad, horse department; and Jim Kranz, for playing a big part of 4-H Summer Spotlight.
Briley updated the commission on ticket sales, which are being done with a new ticketing system called Etix.
Backrest ticket sales are now available. Friends of the Fair tickets go on sale beginning Thursday, and public tickets go on sale on Monday.
With support from the Dakotaland Federal Credit Union, the winner of the Dakota Star competition will win three hours of recording time with a Sioux Falls studio.
Vending is going well and quite a few new vendors are coming to the State Fair this year, said Joni Kiple, in charge of vendors, concessions and special events. She said 28 contracts are still out.
Camper numbers stand at 1,575 for this year.
Off-season events on the state fairgrounds are up by more than 50 percent over last year.
The National Junior High Finals Rodeo is coming to Huron in 2018 and 2019. A special committee has been meeting for months, and later this summer or early fall members of the organization’s executive team will come to town.
A number of subcommittees and a large base of volunteers will be needed to plan for and host the event.
State Fair Manager Peggy Besch and Vince Jager, maintenance manager and Paula Mom, event services assistant, attended this year’s rodeo in Lebanon, Tenn.
The National Red Power Round-up is returning to Huron in 2020.
Huron successfully hosted the event on the state fairgrounds in 2014.
Briley said the office staff will be very busy hosting the major events in the next several years.
“But it’s something we’re willing to take on,” she said.
In 2014, nearly 19,000 people representing 45 states and seven countries were in town for the round-up.
A successful bid by the South Dakota International Harvester Chapter 21, the State Fair and the Huron Chamber & Visitors Bureau for 2020 was announced last weekend.