Fairground improvements will require community support
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RONAN – Since the first Lake County Fair was held in 1931, dedicated volunteers and donors have made the event possible and worked to build it a permanent home in Ronan. In the past year land acquisitions have doubled the size of the fairgrounds to eight acres. The expansion, coupled with improvements to the grandstands and installation of a permanent arena, led to inquiries from popular rodeo and livestock shows to consider using the grounds for events.
“The Montana State Horse Show would like to come here, but there’s nowhere to put the horses,” chairman of the Lake County fair board Sjaan Vincent said.
The Friends of the Lake County Fairgrounds are fundraising to purchase moveable cattle panels that will allow the fairgrounds to be reconfigured to better house livestock for events.
The panels cost $150 each. In the past, local feed stores have lent panels to the fairgrounds for events.
“But they can’t sell them if we ding them up or scratch them,” Friends of the Fairgrounds member Cynthi Preston said. “We really need to buy our own … If we got 50 or 100 of the panels it would be great.”
Space restraints make it unlikely for the arena to be a venue for super-sized events, but better utilizing the space opens up possibilities for the grounds, Preston said.
“We’re never going to be big, but we can be the cutest darn little fairground in the state of Montana,” she said.
Over the years, a number of volunteers have been working toward that goal, Vincent said.
In 1931, the first Lake County Fair was held in the Lake City Garage Building, where it continued for four more years. In 1936 the fair was moved to Ronan.
“It was held in the high school gym with a couple of cows tied out back,” said Vincent.
In 1946, the fairgrounds were designated, and the Polson Sheep Company donated a building to the fair. The Meadow Gold Dairy lent their trucks to the moving effort. The Ronan Lions Club also used surplus canvas from Bozeman to make a structure for the fairgrounds in 1946.
A single year during World War II is the only time the Lake County Fair was not held because of rationing, Vincent said.
In the 1950’s the fairground barns were built. Today, the community center and the grounds themselves play host to banquets and other occasions. The arena is rented out for play days and other events that stimulate the local economy.
“We’ve come a long way, baby,” Vincent said.
Contestants in the fair still have to contend with limited facilities to care for their animals.
“We’ve had steers get away from the 4-H kids and run down Main Street,” Preston said. “That’s not safe.”
Cattle panels will make a difference, Preston and Vincent said.
To donate send contributions to Lake County Community Development with a notation stating the donation is for the Friends of the Fairgrounds account. The address is 407 Main St. SW, Ronan, MT 59864. Donations of any size are appreciated.
