On December 19, Kootenai County Fairgrounds General Manager Alexcia Jordan gave the commissioners a quarterly update on the Kootenai County Fairgrounds as well as a 2024 look ahead.
2023 Fairgrounds Event Recap
Hosted 249 events, totaling 767 event days.
Does not include various law enforcement trainings that took place.
Many community non-profit fundraisers, educational seminars, livestock shows, company parties, funerals, and everything in between.
Most successful new event: Modern Homesteading Conference (and already booked for 2024)
Welcomed over 384,000 guests to the facility, which continues to grow.
The fair board invested more than $400,000 in capital projects enhancing infrastructure.
In 2024, they are nearly booked full for season and already looking ahead in 2025.
They will be slightly increasing rental fees to ensure continuing fairgrounds self-sustainability.
2024 Fair Update
Theme: Fun Galore in 2024
In January the board will announce a “new and diverse entertainment lineup.”
There will be an extra day of rodeo, tractor truck pulls, new ground attractions.
Accolades
Distinguished as one of the most award-winning fairs in the nation by the International Association of Fairs and Expos (IAFE).
Hosted the Rocky Mountain Affairs Association in November at the CDA Resort. During the convention over 450 people attended representing over 75 fairs throughout the Rocky Mountain region. While showcasing the Kootenai County fairgrounds, the feedback received from attendees was overwhelmingly positive expressing admiration and exceptional quality and management of the facility.
In recognition of the fair’s achievements since 2018 through the IAFE Convention in November, the Western Fairs Association has selected the North Idaho State Fair to be their featured fair in 2024.
Bill Brooks asked how much it would cost to move the fair.
The fair board just completed their master plan and the master plan on facility they currently have, without purchase of new land and infrastructure, comes to $300M. The fair director commented that she does not know how the taxpayers would feel about paying at least that amount for a new facility.
Full meeting below.