FIRES AND A FREE FAIR

While hurricanes make the headlines worldwide, Montana and other parts of the Northwest are in the worst fire season in history.
Tom Aldrich, Western Montana Fair, Missoula, said his fairgrounds became a shelter for the first time since World War II. “We started taking in animals in the middle of August,” Aldrich said. They also offered RV camping to some of the evacuees.
Montana is no stranger to ridge fires, but they usually stay on the ridges, he said. This time, fires were coming down the mountainsides and threatening towns.
Meanwhile, they were also hosting the annual fair Aug. 8-13, and despite the ridge fires and fears, it was a stellar event, if not smokier than usual.
The reason was a brilliant decision to offer a free gate for the first time. “We figured if we could increase revenues 15 percent across the board, we could offset the free gate,” Aldrich said.
The fair drew 86,836 people, up 24 percent, and revenues increased 25-30 percent. Sponsorships brought in $76,470, up 25 percent; 11,000 attended the paid rodeos, up 10 percent; concessions brought in $524,338, up 19 percent; and the carnival, North Star Amusements, grossed $450,604, up 19 percent. In addition, the beer garden netted $41,000-plus, more than double the year prior, and parking was up 26 percent, to $20,000 at $6 a pop.
Aldrich expected they will continue to be one of the larger fairs in the Rocky Mountains to offer a free gate again next year. And he also predicted a few other fairs would follow suite.
August was a most unusual month for Western Montana Fair, air quality index included. In Montana, they cope, Aldrich said. It’s time for school and some schools are in evacuation zones. Those kids will be attending school at a dude ranch — at least for now.