BEMIDJI — County fairs are a memorable time for many rural residents, and Northern Minnesota is no exception.
While many county fairs across the region have wrapped up already, including Clearwater and Crow Wing’s fairs on Sunday, Aug. 3, volunteers and vendors for Beltrami County’s fair are in the last stages of preparing ahead of opening night on Wednesday.
Beltrami County’s fair is a tradition, like many county fairs, but longtime fair organizer Vern Holtzheuter said this one is special.
“I think we have one of the nicer home arts areas. I judged nine fairs this year and attended two others, and nobody had a home arts area like we have," Holtzheuter said in front of the swine and poultry barn on Monday.
“Nobody has as large a poultry show. Most don't have as much livestock as we have.”
Beltrami County’s terrain is better suited for livestock, Holtzheuter explained, with cattle ruling the pastures for generations.
Holtzheuter said damage to the fairgrounds during the June 21 storm was minimal, and the facilities are fully ready to receive crowds.
“We had a few trees down, a fence or two. ... Our front sign had to be replaced, but otherwise it was very minimal,” he said. “So we were blessed, ‘cause just a mile down the road there were roofs missing.”
Beryl Wernberg was leading a volunteer safety training at the Marilyn Shutter Stage Monday night. As a retired 911 dispatcher, not to mention her work with the county’s emergency management and countless search and rescue missions, she will be the voice of calm behind the scenes as she leads the fair’s communications center.
Volunteers learned how to effectively communicate with the radios and what information is essential in different types of emergencies.
Wernberg said when finding missing persons at the fair, accurate clothing descriptions can help volunteers quickly locate people.
In a phone interview, she advised families or others bringing large groups to take a photo of the group the day they go to the fair.
"When you're in a hurry and you probably got 3,000 things to answer and you gotta do this and that, you don't always remember what the kids are wearing,” she said. “There's a lot of blue-eyed, blonde, whatever, but it comes down to the clothing description that really sets them apart.”
Details like what kind of shoes or type of glasses can also be helpful information for reunifying families.
With barns for every type of farmyard critter, including separating the cattle by beef and dairy, there’s something for everyone at the fair.
Horticultural and art exhibit information, carnival details and a full Grandstand schedule can be found at the fair's website.
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