​The Boone County Fair Fundraiser held February 4th, kicked off the Centennial Celebration the fair board has planned for this year.  According to Fair Manager, Ashley Fitzgerald, “Although there are records of some type of Fair event in different locations in Boone County earlier than 1923, this year we are celebrating 100 years of the Boone County Fair in its current location in the format we know and love today.”   
The Fair Fundraiser Kickoff event happens annually to help raise funds for the Fair. This year in particular was our most successful year to-date. Over 220 people attended the event that include a catered meal, silent and live auctions and live music by Burnin’ Sensations. The event raised a record breaking $29, 770.21.  We continue to raise funds at this event to support 4-H and FFA exhibition at the Boone County Fair, specifically by helping offset the cost of judges, ribbons, premiums, and event support including, entry systems, sound systems operations and livestock security. Additionally, at this year’s event, special funds were raised for the Fund the Photos project.  The goal of this project is to construct a permanent photo backdrop, outside the show arena, for exhibitors to take photos with their livestock projects. $12,200 of the estimated $20,000 was raised for the Fund the Photos project.  If you are interested in learning more about this project or donating towards reaching the $20,000 goal, please contact a member of the fair board. The Boone County Fair is a private, non-profit 501(c) (3) organization and all donations towards the Fair are tax exempt.
The Boone County Fair, Centennial Celebration, is scheduled for July 20-23, 2023.  The fair board plans to announce new and exciting entertainment planned for the Fair very soon.  For more information about the Boone County Fair, visit the Fairs website www.boonecountyfairia.com or follow them on Facebook. 

​August 2, 2021
 
For Immediate Release
 
Fair Board Seeks to Fill Vacancies
 
The Boone County Fair Board is now accepting applications for the Boone County Fair Board.  Persons interested in being on the Fair Board must be residents of Boone County, over age 18, and enthusiastic to work with the current Fair Board to improve the annual County Fair & other fairgrounds events.  There are currently five seats on the fair board that need to be filled.  Current board members seeking re-election are: Wayne Lynch, Lori Winter, Kevin Meier, Jon Bullock.  Danielle Madden is retiring from the board.
If you are interested in helping out with the Fair and other Fairgrounds events, but do not want to commit to monthly meetings, and being a full board member, we encourage you to apply to be an associate member.  Associate members serve on committees and assist in whatever areas of the Fair they wish to help with. 
Fair Board & Associate member applications are due to the fair office by September 1st  and are available on the website at http://www.boonecountyfairia.com/board-information.html​ or can be picked up at the fair office. Those seeking election should plan to be at the annual board meeting with is September 13th at 7pm at the Fairgrounds Community Building.
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.  

​Nearly 400 kids were able to enjoy the carnival rides over the 4 days of the Boone County Fair this year. The "Have Fun, Give Back" program, developed by the Boone County Fair Board and sponsored by the Boone County Farm Bureau, allowed fairgoers to donate a non-perishable food item in exchange for a free carnival wristband.
The basis of the program was to gain sponsorship to cover the cost of the carnival so families who normally wouldn’t be able to afford the carnival rides, would be able to come out and have fun at the fair.  As a part of the program, those wishing to receive the free carnival wristbands would need to donate a non-perishable food item. With over 11% of Boone County being considered "food insecure", the fair board thought this would be a great way to shed light on the issue and get the community involved. 
“It is great that we are teaching our children the importance of giving back to the community” said one mother with young children enjoying the rides. “We are grateful for this sponsorship and the 'Have Fun, Give Back' program, so we can enjoy the rides at the fair.” 
This year, almost 300 pounds of non-perishable food items were collected through this program and were donated to local food pantries.  The Boone County Fair Board is planning to continue the "Have Fun, Give Back" program in the future, and is looking for more area businesses to help sponsor this great program to support our community. For more information about this program or information on the 2021 Boone County Fair, contact [email protected].

We are now accepting applications for the Boone County Fair Board.  Persons interested in being on the Fair Board must be residents of Boone County, over age 18, and enthusiastic to work with the current Fair Board to improve the annual County Fair & other fairgrounds events.  There are currently five seats on the fair board that need to be filled.  Current board members seeking re-election are: Patrick Erb, Bonnie Sorenson, Tim Anderson, Jeff Needham, & Stephanie Dowdy. 
If you are interested in helping out with the Fair and other Fairgrounds events, but do not want to commit to monthly meetings, and being a full board member, we encourage you to apply to be an associate member.  Associate members serve on committees and assist in whatever areas of the Fair they wish to help with. 
Fair Board & Associate member applications are due to the fair office by September 1st  and are available on the website at www.boonecountyfairia.com or can be picked up at the fair office. Those seeking election should plan to be at the annual board meeting with is September 14th at 7pm at the Fairgrounds Community Building.
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.  

The Boone County Fair Board is excited to announce that the fair will occur as planned July 16-19, with only a few minor changes due to COVID-19 restrictions. With support from Boone County Public Health, Emergency Management and Boone County Extension, the fair board has developed a plan that allows the regular livestock shows, food vendors, carnival rides, grandstand shows and free concerts to take place.
For months the Boone County Fair Board has been meeting regularly to discuss options on what this year’s fair might look like. They have also been consulting with health officials, insurance providers, as well as polling the public on their comfort levels of attending fair events during these unprecedented times. After a special meeting to specifically discuss the fate of the fair, and with the restrictions being lifted in the state as of Friday, June 12, the board voted in favor of having fair. Although the fair plans are moving forward as normal, the fair board is taking extra precautions to ensure the health and safety of all fairgoers. Plans are in place to increase sanitation, including extra handwashing stations and hand sanitizer throughout the grounds. Additionally, the fair board plans to disinfect main seating areas including the show ring, grandstand and bleachers daily and provide signage to remind people to keep social distancing and to use good hygiene practices. Following the State of Iowa’s lead, personal responsibility is requested for people to determine if they feel comfortable attending the fair during this time. High risk or vulnerable individuals are asked to consider staying home.
The Boone County Fair has a great lineup of events and entertainment this year. Grandstand shows include Figure 8 Races, Demolition Derby and Mud Races. Stage concerts include Jake Doty & Hawk McIntyre, Casey Muessigmann and Tyler Richton & the Highbank Boys. The locally owned and operated carnival Scott Amusements, will return this year with even more rides for all ages to enjoy. New this year is the “Have Fun, Give Back” carnival program. Thanks to a sponsorship from Farm Bureau, the first 100 kids to donate a non-perishable food item each day of the fair will receive a free carnival wristband for that day. Through this program, we hope everyone can have fun at the fair and give back to our local food pantries. Unfortunately, we have cancelled some of our events such as Mutton Busting and Extravaganza in order to maintain social distancing guidelines. For a complete list of Boone County Fair events and activities or to purchase tickets, visit the fairs website at www.boonecountyfairia.com.

​During these unprecedented times of social distancing due to COVID-19, businesses and individuals alike are having to adapt and make changes to meet public health and safety requirements. At this time the Boone County Fair Board is continuing to plan for the 2020 fair, as scheduled but are looking at potential options if changes need to be made. The fair board has been working closely with Boone County Emergency Management as well as Boone County Extension and Outreach to determine the best course of action for fair. 
“As the state regulations are constantly changing, the fair board is not ready to make a final decision on how the 2020 fair will look. Taking many factors into consideration, including entertainment contracts, exhibitors, vendors, sponsorship and advertising, the board has voted to hold off making a final decision for the 2020 Boone County Fair until June 16,” (one month prior to opening day of the fair), said Wayne Lynch, Boone County Fair Board President. “We will continue to monitor state and federal public health regulations, and will meet with Boone County Emergency Management and Boone County Extension (and Outreach) to make the best decision for our county.”
The Boone County Fair Board’s goal is to host the 2020 Boone County Fair as planned, so everyone in the county has a fun event to look forward to this summer.  Although if that is not possible, they feel the most important part is making sure our 4-H and FFA youth have an opportunity to exhibit their projects and livestock and will consider having an “exhibition only” fair.
For all information about the Boone County Fair, July 16-19, 2020 including the schedule of events and COVID-19 related updates, visit the Fair’s website at www.boonecountyfairia.com or follow them on Facebook. 

Thanks to funds from the Leonard Good Trust, the Fitzgerald Charitable Trust and the Boone Community Endowment grant, the Boone County Fair Board was able to complete several improvements to the Fairgrounds in 2019. The Fairgrounds is home to over 100 events, which host over 75,000 people annually.
 
Improvements made by the fair board this year through grant funds included exterior renovations of the Community Building and fairgrounds sound system upgrades. The Community Building had a complete face lift which included: masonry work and tuck pointing to repair cracks in the block structure, repainting the entire building, wrapping the front awning, replacement of the overhead garage door to increase energy efficiency and also replacement of three sets of doors which included a handicap accessible push button on the main entry doors. All the improvements to the Community Building will not only help the structural integrity, but have made the building look much more aesthetically pleasing for all fairgrounds visitors. Since the fairgrounds does accommodate such a diversity of events, often times sound systems are needed for important announcements or general presentations. Funds secured through these grants allowed the fair board to replace many out-of-date, and non-working sound systems.
 
The Boone County Fairgrounds serves as a great asset to the City of Boone and Boone County, which makes all fairground improvements a benefit the community. The fair board is pleased with the improvements that have been made over the past year, but with any large facility, there are always new projects to take on.  The fair board and fairgrounds is a non-profit organization, and all donations made are considered tax deductible. For more information about how you can help the Boone County Fairgrounds, contact the fair office.