BOONE COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS - Press Releases

BOONE COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS

Fair Board Elects new members

9/16/2024

The mission of the Boone County Agricultural Association and Boone County Fair Board is to encourage, support, and promote the growth and development of urban and rural communities of Boone County by highlighting the heritage of the community, and its ties to agriculture, industry and business that are the backbone of the community.

If you look throughout the county it is hard to find a group of people who volunteer more time for the betterment of others than the Boone County Fair Board. Board members spend countless volunteer hours making improvements to the fairgrounds as well as planning and coordinating the annual county fair. We are grateful to have such a wonderful group of caring individuals serve our county.

2024-25 Fair Board members are as follows: Patrick Erb, Wayne Lynch, Doyle Stern, Tracy Herman, Tim Anderson, Jeff Needham, Kevin Meier, Jon Bullock, Alan Schoff, Les Mills, Kim Rhodes, Blake Beckett, Dan Graham, Jentry Schoff, & Tonya Osborn.

Fair Board Officers: President – Patrick Erb, Vice President – Wayne Lynch, Treasurer – Doyle Stern, Secretary – Tracy Herman.

The board also welcome a record 10 associate members to the board: Kim Bullock, Kim Meier, Stephanie Dowdy, Holly Jacobsen, Nichol Graham, Hailey Beckett, Brian Crook, Erica Petty, Amanda Taylor, & Marchele Duley.

To learn more about who we are and what we do, please visit our website at www.boonecountyfairia.com

2024 Fair Sponsorship

5/7/2024

As the weather begins to warm up, I am thrilled to be looking forward to summer sunshine and the annual Boone County Fair. The Fair Board has been hard at work planning a fair including more free daytime entertainment, new grandstand shows, and so much more You won’t want to miss your chance to attend and of course, support the 2024 Boone County Fair.

Whether you are a long-time fair supporter, or have never been to the county fair, we encourage you to get involved. As a fair supporter, your donation supports a key attraction in your community, as well as invests in hundreds of youth in Boone County. In addition to receiving free grandstand tickets, your sponsorship of the fair serves as great advertising for your business. Fairgoers come from all over Boone and surrounding counties. What better way to get your company’s name in front of the community than supporting the fair? From advertising on our website, social media, and main gate display, to recognition on the donation wall in the community building, fair sponsorship will give back to your business. The level of donation you make will determine the advertising opportunities available to you.

As a key member of the community, we are asking for you to support the Boone County Fair. We hope you see the value that fair sponsorship can give back to you.

To become a fair sponsor, simply review the sponsorship levels, and then fill out the enclosed pledge form. Please keep the white copy of the pledge form for your records, and return the other copy with a check for the pledge amount to the Boone County Fair Office. To ensure we have plenty of time to maximize your advertising dollars, please return your pledge form and check no later than June 1st.

Please make out sponsor checks to “Boone County Fair”. We now also accept credit card payments (please note: card payments require an additional 3% processing fee).

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the fair office. Thank you so much for your support of the Boone County Fair!

Job Opportunities

4/2/2024

We are looking to hire for the following positions. Interested groups or individuals should email the fair office at [email protected]

Car Parking
Car Parking at the "City Block" Parking lot

Must have a minimum of four people per shift. Groups will assist with parking cars as they arrive in an organized manner to ensure parking is done in a safe way and there are no or double parked vehicles.
Thursday July 18 - Sunday July 21st
Five hour shift each day (hours vary depending on grandstand shows)
Must be 18 years or old, or have a supervisors with the group that is 18 or older.
Pay is $500/day (this pay is per day, not per person worked) or $2,000 for the entire Fair.

Social Media & Communications Intern:
Assist with various tasks related to the Boone County Fair social media, public information, and guest relations.

10 hours per week in June
20 hours the week before the fair
40 hours during the week of fair (Boone County Fair dates: July 18-21)
10 hours following the week following the fair
Total of 120 hours

Duties & Responsibilities

Manage current social media sites by developing regular content
Create new social media accounts for the fairgrounds & create content for them
Work with the fair staff to develop ads for the fair: print, radio, social media, etc.
Create press releases and other written pieces for distribution
Manage live streaming of livestock shows during the fair
Develop fair print materials (schedules, sponsor posters, etc.)
Perform a variety of administrative, customer service, and communication event-related tasks as assigned
Work with staff to ensure the fair’s goals, mission and vision are accomplished through teamwork
Perform and complete other various tasks as assigned by fair staff

Qualifications

High School junior or senior or High School Graduate
Experience with multiple social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, etc.)
Strong interest in public relations, journalism, marketing, event management, and business communications
Computer skills and social media experience
Excellent oral and written communication, organizational and interpersonal skills
Canva or other graphic design experience also preferred

How to Apply:
Submit a cover letter, resume, and references as .pdf attachments to [email protected] by Monday, May 1st. Top candidates will be contacted for interviews.

2024 Fair Theme Announced

3/25/2024

The English language describes an "Era" as "a period of time know for particular event."

As we look over the course of our lives different events stand out as Era's we most often highlight. Childhood, graduation, parenthood, retirement, etc. For some of us, the Fair is an era we so much enjoy re-visiting each year.

Throughout the years, our view of the Fair may change. First as a young child enjoying the carnival rides, later on as a hardworking 4-H or FFA members exhibiting projects. Later in life as parents, grandparents, volunteers and community members who take in the joy of the fair through the lens of nostalgia and wonderment.

Whatever phase of the Fair Era you are in, we hope you join us July 18-21, 2024 to make this Fair Era one for the record books!

Fair Board to host Easter Egg Hung

3/5/2024

Join us Saturday March 30th at 10am for our annual Easter Egg Hunt! The hunt for eggs will be divided into three age groups.; 4 and under, 5-7 and 8-10 year old's. The hunt will be on the fairgrounds west of the community building. In case of rain, the event will be moved inside. Thank you to the Harrison Hilltop Hustler 4-H club for helping stuff the eggs.

2024 Fair Fundraiser Announced

11/20/2023

Save the Date! The 2024 Boone County Fair Fundraiser is scheduled for Saturday February 3rd!

Proceeds generated from the event will help pay for judges, premiums and ribbons for 4-H and FFA events during the Fair as well as our 2024 special fund-a-need project; sealing the roof on the Erb Center.

The Erb Center is used regularly by 4-H Clubs and FFA Chapters. It is used for club meetings, workshops, day camps, and much more throughout the year. During the Boone County Fair, the Erb Center is solely used as the 4-H Foodstand. Proceeds from the 4-H Foodstand go towards funding the 4-H program for the entire year including sending youth on trips, conferences, camps, workshops and much more. The Erb Center was updated in 2016 from the existing foodstand. The entire building was remodeled but one project that there wasn't funds for was sealing the roof. In 2023, the Erb Center roof leaked in the kitchen area. We are currently raising funds to put a sealant on the metal roof. The sealant will seal all fasteners as well as rust-proofing. The sealant has a 30 year life expectancy, and an 18 year waterproof warranty. This will ensure years of keeping the Erb Center in great condition for the use of the 4-H food stand and many other uses. The cost to seal the roof on the Erb Center is over $15,000. It is our goal to fundraise as much money as possible towards this project and have it completed before the 2024 Fair.

If you want to help make the 2024 Fair fundraiser a success, the fair board is currently seeking donations for the live and silent auction. Donation deadline is January 22nd. Fair Fundraiser tickets can be purchased here: https://secure.qgiv.com/event/bcf24/register/

Fair Board Election Results

10/10/2023

The annual meeting of the Boone County Agricultural Association was held on September 11th 2024. Elections took place, and on October 1st the new officers and board took over. Wayne Lynch served four consecutive terms as president, and per the association by-laws must vacate the presidential position for a minimum of one year. The fair board has been greatly appreciative of the years of leadership, and look forward to him still offering guidance to the board in his new role, as Vice President. Elected President, was long time board member Patrick Erb. Doyle Stern was re-elected to the treasurer position, and Tracy Herman was elected as secretary, this being her first time holding an officer position on the board. Retiring off the Fair Board was Bonnie Sorenson, we are grateful for her many years of service to the fair board. Dan Graham was elected as the newest member on the board. He joins returning Fair Board Members: Lindsey Stolte, Tim Anderson, Jeff Needham, Kevin Meier, Jonathan Bullock, Alan Schoff, Les Mills, Kim Rhodes, Blake Becket and Jentry Schoff. In addition to voting members ten associate members were also elected to the board. They include: Kim Bullock, Kim Meier, Stephanie Dowdy, Erik McFarland, Holley Jacobsen, Montana Sour, Nichol Graham, Hailey Beckett, Brian Crook & Don Howard. Caitlin Needham was also elected as a junior member of the fair board.

Parking Lot Project Complete!

5/25/2023

The new parking lot is complete! It has been years of planning and fundraising, but it is finally finished and we couldn't be more happy. Thanks to grants from the Leonard Good Trust, and the Boone Community Endowment Fund as well as funding from Boone County and strategic savings from the fair board over several years the project is now completed. The repaving of the parking lot is much needed for the safety of our guests, the integrity of the grounds and buildings as it will ensure water flows away from buildings. The parking lot resurfacing project completion comes just in front of the Centennial Celebration of the Boone County Fair, which is schedule for July 20-23. Make sure you take time to visit the Fair and and enjoy the new parking lot.

Parking Lot Progress

5/1/2023

As some of you may have noticed, there has been a lot of activity going on at the fairgrounds this past week. For several years the Fair board has been saving funds and seeking donations to re-asphalt the parking lot. Thanks to grants from the Leonard Good Trust, and the Boone Community Endowment Fund as well as funding from Boone County and strategic savings from the fair board over several years the project is about to become a reality. The repaving of the parking lot is much needed for the safety of our guests, the integrity of the grounds and buildings as it will ensure water flows away from buildings. In April of 2022 a contract was signed with a contractor to complete the project by June 1st 2023. Of course, since this is an asphalt and concrete project, weather plays a very large role in when the project can be completed. Additionally, the Contractors work schedule (as of the April 2022 contract signing) and Fairgrounds event dates also play a role in the timing of the construction. Working with weather, Fairgrounds schedule and the Contractor’s schedule, the contractor chose the week(s) to work on the project. We are extremely excited to have this project completed by next week! The Fair board has worked hard during this busy season to work with all those who utilize the fairgrounds and greatly appreciate everyone’s understanding. We have been told the asphalt will be laid the beginning of the week of May 1st and the lot will be drivable for regular vehicles starting towards the end of that week. However, we ask that semis and other heavy equipment not park on the parking lot until June to allow the asphalt to cure as much as possible. Thank you again for your understanding, we look forward to this new parking lot that will benefit all that utilize our facilities.

Fair Announce Centennial Celebration Entertainment

4/4/2023

Fair Announces Centennial Celebration Entertainment

As the winter weather seems to hang on, we can all look forward to sunshine and summer fun. The Boone County Fair Board has been planning the centennial celebration Boone County Fair for months now, and is finally ready to announce the entertainment lineup.
Thursday night of fair will kickoff a new grandstand show, the Nitro Monster Truck Tour. Friday evening in the grandstand will also bring in a new show. “Free Friday in the Grandstand" hosted by the fair board will showcase the Prairie Tractor Pullers Event. Saturday will bring back the Western Iowa Pullers Association for the Tractor and Truck Pull, and to round out our grandstand events, the annual Mud Races on Sunday.
If you are looking for musical entertainment, look no further than the Leonard Good stage! The fair board hosts free concerts every night. Grab your friends and head over to enjoy a beer and some great music.
Thursday night kicks off with local music from Jake Doty and the Swensongs. Friday highlights Burnin’ Sensations Band opening for Good to be King, the Tom Petty tribute band. This great tribute band has been playing all your Tom Petty favorites, “Free Falling” and “I Won’t Back Down”, all around the Midwest. They will also be performing at the Iowa State Fair in August, but you can see them right here in Boone for free! Saturday evening the fair board pulled out all the stops to bring you country music Nashville recording artist, Canaan Smith. His song “Love You Like That” from his debut album reached number one on the Billboard Country Airplay chart. His second album, High Country Sound, came out in 2021 and features songs “Beer Drinkin’ Weather” and “Heartbreak Heaven”. Opening for Canaan, the fair board is excited to bring back Casey Muessigmann. Casey was a member of Team Blake on The Voice, Season 3.
If you are looking for more free entertainment, there is plenty happening at the Centennial Fair. New this year is the America’s Got Talent participant, Dan Kirk, "The Juggler with the Yellow Shoes", and Kevin Horner, the 6-year running top comedy ventriloquist. Also new this year is Barrel Train Rides and the Cancer Warrior Truck Car Show. Favorites that are coming back include the Pedal Tractor Pull, Mutton Busting, Face Painting and Iowa Cloggers performance. Locally owned and operated, Scotts Amusements will once again provide carnival rides and games.
The Centennial Celebration of the Boone County Fair is scheduled for July 20 - 23. For more information, to see a full schedule of events, or to keep up to date on all fair news follow the Boone County Fairgrounds on Facebook or visit their website www.boonecountyfairia.com. Grandstand tickets will go on sale April 20.