Fair Board votes to proceed with annual fair

The Flathead County Fair Board on Thursday voted to proceed with hosting the Northwest Montana Fair and Rodeo Aug. 19 to 23 at the Flathead County Fairgrounds in Kalispell.

The board made the decision after receiving input from several stakeholders, including 4-H groups, FFA participants, the Flathead City/County Health Department and others, according to a press release.

To protect the health and safety of fairgoers, exhibitors and staff amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the fair has made several modifications to operations, including implementing social distancing measures throughout the fairgrounds and strongly recommending that visitors, vendors and exhibitors wear masks. Workers who are handling food and beverage or are in close contact with guests are required to wear masks.

“We welcome everyone’s participation and ask for help as we implement the changes that we feel are necessary to safely host this year’s fair,” Board Chairman Sam Nunnally said.

Additional protective measures include extensive cleaning and sanitization of carnival rides, fair buildings, tables, chairs and other surfaces.

“The health and safety of the community, our participants and guests, is and always will be the highest priority in producing the fair,” Nunnally said. “We continue to work closely with a variety of local and national public health agencies and are following the guidelines provided by the Flathead City/County Health Department, Montana Directives and Center for Disease Control. Fair staff and officials will continue to collaborate with these expert partners, watch for any new developments around COVID-19 that would impact the fair operation, and make modifications accordingly.”

This year marks the 119th annual fair. It will feature three nights of PRCA Rodeo, a concert by Platinum country music artist Chris Janson, a demolition derby, carnival rides and hundreds of exhibits.

For more information visit nwmtfair.com.