Planning, Running The Benton County Fair A Big Job

SAUK RAPIDS - The Benton County Fair continues today (Thursday) in Sauk Rapids. Fair Board Director Aaron Goulet says it's a nearly yearlong process to get ready for the run of the fair.

We start hitting the ground in February making sure that we're starting to book events, getting bands that we need, getting exhibits like the 9/11 exhibit, getting our grants written, trying to figure out what are some new things that people might want to see. And then it's all hands on deck from there.

Goulet says they're able to bring in the bigger exhibits like the 9/11 Memorial, thanks to a lot of grant writing.

There's a few of us on the board that have written grants. And then a lot of the money that's generated is from the grandstand events, the beer gardens, the vendors - they have to pay a fee.

It's still free for you to attend the fair.

Goulet says they take great pride in taking care of the aging facilities on the grounds.

We do a lot of improvements. The grandstand we stuck about $20,000 into improving the bleachers and revamping some of that down there. Its been here 104 years, so the water pipes under the ground are getting rusty, the sewer pipes need replacing, the electrical work is spotty. It takes a lot of money to keep this running.

Today (Thursday) there's a magician, square dancing, and racing pigs. Today's highlights include: the truckpull in the grandstand, and the band IV (four) play in the beer garden.

The Benton County Fair runs through Sunday. New this year, there's a Monster Truck Show on Sunday afternoon.