Northwest Montana Fair saw near-record attendance

A little rain and an ongoing pandemic didn't stop the Northwest Montana Fair and Rodeo from reaching a near-record level of attendance last week.

The five-day fair, which ended last Sunday, drew a total of 77,828 visitors — around 2% shy of the 2017 record of 79,492 and the 2019 mark of 79,372, according to Flathead County Fairgrounds Manager Mark Campbell. The event set daily attendance records every day except Saturday, when the weather was cold and wet.

"A whole lot of things happened that were extremely positive. We had a couple of challenges through the way, but all in all, I think the 2021 Northwest Montana Fair and Rodeo was a very big success in so many different ways," Campbell said Thursday while briefing the county commissioners on the successes and challenges of the annual event.

The high attendance marked a return to normal levels after last year's fair drew just over 32,000 visitors. The fair's carnival was canceled last year and health officials urged people not to gather to prevent the spread of Covid-19; many who did attend went maskless.

While the fair was jam-packed this year, organizers kept in place several health measures, including increased sanitization efforts, handwashing stations and signs encouraging people to wear masks in more crowded sections of the fairgrounds.

According to Campbell's presentation, carnival revenues soared 6.7% over the previous record. More than 250 livestock animals were sold via online and in-person auctions for a record total of more than $797,000, and more than 6,800 exhibits were entered into 4-H, FFA and open-class livestock showing competitions.

At the Grandstand, Wednesday's concert featuring country singer-songwriter Chris Janson drew 2,739 people. The concert was followed by three nights of rodeo events and Sunday's Big Air Bash dirt-biking event, for a total of 16,202 Grandstand event attendees.

The fair featured 21 food vendors who raked in more than $460,000 in sales, averaging nearly $30,700 apiece.

Over the past week, crews have been busy returning the fairgrounds to "normal" operations and preparing for non-fair events, Campbell said.

According to his presentation, discussions are underway about reopening a once-a-week Covid-19 vaccination clinic at the fairgrounds. The Flathead City-County Health Department ran a vaccination clinic there from January to June and administered nearly 39,000 doses before demand fell.

Assistant editor Chad Sokol may be reached at 406-758-4439 or csokol@dailyinterlake.com.