I enjoy going to local fairs, and try to visit one each summer. The Spokane County Fair is massive and crowded and full of stuff to see. The North Idaho Fair (now North Idaho State Fair) in Coeur d'Alene has become almost as massive and crowded and full of stuff to see. I am still recovering from the mystery ankle injury, so even though I am almost back to normal, I don't yet feel ready for any serious treks on foot. Either of those events means a drive, then a hike to the gate, and then a long journey to see what there is to see.
When the Mother Thing suggested we check out the Bonner County Fair in Sandpoint, Idaho instead, that seemed like the perfect alternative. I briefly lived in Sandpoint about 20 years ago, but never went to the fair then. So yesterday, we meandered over to have a look-see.
Getting There
If you approach from Coeur d'Alene and Interstate 90, take Highway 95 north until you cross "The Long Bridge." across part of Lake Pend Oreille. This is the 4th structure at this site, and runs alongside the 3rd which was open to pedestrians or bicycles until this year. Hwy. 95 now bypasses downtown Sandpoint, making traffic much better than it used to be when I lived there. Now you just drive until you reach your intersection to turn toward the fairgrounds.
If you take Highway 2 from Washington, you will merge with Hwy. 95 at the border between Sandpoint and Ponderay. In either case, turn west onto Schweitzer Cutoff Road, navigate the traffic circle where it intersects with part of Boyer Avenue from the south, and continue west until it reconnects with Boyer at a 'T' intersection. Turn right (north) onto the rest of Boyer Ave. and the fairgrounds are almost immediately on your left.
Back to the Fair
Entry is simple: pay $7 per vehicle to park on the grounds, and that's it. No extra per-person fees at all. Attending an event in the grandstands required an extra event ticket, but we decided against waiting for that. There was no midway with sketchy carnival rides, so no extra expense there either. Aside from buying something from the food court or the handful of food trucks hawking various confections and cuisine, there is no extra expense. It's refreshing to go somewhere that isn't trying to nickel-and-dime us all to death.
The lack of a midway might mean kids could be at loose ends, but there was a play area with misters and shade cloth to keep people cool, a bouncy castle, and other activities at no extra charge. There is also a permanently-installed playground on Boyer Avenue.
The main focus of small county fairs is agriculture and livestock. 4-H is a massive part of rural youth farm culture across the USA, and fairs are where kids showcase their skill in raising livestock. Adults also compete in various events, but it's mainly about the kids here. Poultry and rabbit exhibits share one barn, sheep and goats another, a third is dedicated to swine, and a large barn is exclusively for cattle. There were horse stables marked on the map, but a glance at the nearest didn't reveal any critters, and I didn't want to walk that far. There were several kids walking pack goats around the goat barn area, and I snapped the photo above because I found this particular goat with horns protected with tennis balls particularly amusing.
One of my favorite aspects of fairs is the display of old machinery and tractors. This fair may be small, but they weren't lacking on this front. Lighting was poor for smartphone photography inside the building housing an old Jeep, a couple Ford Model T and Model A cars, and a few other old curiosities, but there was an early road grader outside at one end, and a lot of old tractors at the other, including a good representation of McCormick-Deering and Allis-Chalmers, not just John Deere. I may even need to betray my grandfather's allegiance to the green machines and declare my appreciation for the Ford N-series. There was even a flatbed trailer with an array of old stationary engines that just a century ago would have powered most appliances and small equipment. I've selected a few halfway-decent snapshots to share below.
No enclosed cabs. No rollover protection. These bare-bones machines are elegant simplicity with only a few stylistic details, and are gorgeous machines as a result, but a lot of farmers died before anyone figured out how to add some safety features. And anyone who has worked out in the blazing sun appreciates shade, to say nothing of air conditioning in modern machines. These restored old-timers have a certain presence newer equipment lacks nonetheless.
Enough with the machinery and musings. On with the tour! The wildlife building had hands-on kid-friendly activities like animal track identification, a lot of taxidermy, a fish pond with live trout, and general conservation information. Unfortunately, my snapshots look like garbage, or have other peoples' kids in frame, and I don't want to share that. Go check it out if you visit the fair, though.
The last big building combined some vendor booths and various open competitions beyond 4-H. Flower displays, baking competitions, arts and crafts, and more had their own areas inside. I was saddened to see so many of the LEGO displays featuring kids who just built sets from instructions and entered it alongside more creative models. I wonder whether the judges know the difference. Following the booklet shouldn't earn a @#$% ribbon! Maybe I'll vent more in a full post later. Some flowers and vegetables were starting to wilt from the heat, but the awards were done, so that's just how nature follows its course without refrigeration.
Since I wasn't staying for any events in their arena area. the only thing left to mention is the food court. Vendors and 4-H fundraisers offered a lot of options from Greek lamb to basic burgers and hot dogs. If you can eat fair food, there is plenty to choose from.
All told, though, it was a fun way to spend a couple hours. Small fairs mean you have time to see everything without much trouble. While there were a few local politicians on the campaign trail;, there wasn't really a big Republican or Democrat booth full of obnoxious partisan cheerleaders. It was almost entirely without corporate advertisement. This is a proper local county fair with local county atmosphere, and that's worth celebrating, even if they resorted to A.I. slop instead of local art for their flyer cover.
Yes, I have to find something to nitpick. But that's about it. If you can't make it here, try to see your local county fair wherever you are, support local youth agriculture, find local businesses to support, and consider what you might want to make and enter yourself next year. Who knows? Maybe you'll take home the championship prize! If you're outside the USA, do you have similar fairs and events in your country?
Are you reading this later?
The fairgrounds here don't seem to be as active an event space year-round as Spokane and Coeur d'Alene's, but the fair runs through tomorrow, August 22nd, and you can plan for next year as well. Sandpoint itself is worth a visit any time. I recommend taking some time to browse downtown. Quirky retail abounds, and there are pubs, fine dining options, Dub's (the local fast food institution since forever ago), and Winter Ridge Natural Foods has a deli with healthy and tasty options for those of us with dietary restrictions. They also have an excellent city library at Division and Cedar. If you plan to visit Schweitzer Mountain, there is skiing in winter and lots of summer activities right now. Arts and music abound, and you can find current information here regardless of when you read this post.
Happy travels!
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