Portraits in Steele | Page 10
Tedious work is put into the layout of the fairgrounds come fair week, specifically what vendors will attend and where to place them in order to give the visitors the widest variety of food and products possible.
The devoted office staff — affectionately refered often as the “office ladies” — put in full-time work during the summer and even more during the fair week. Staffers Vickie Deml (third from left), Sharon Klein (third from right), and Rhonda Bennett (second from right), put in hours at the office year round. From left to right: Deb Mather, Angie Jenson, Deml, Klein, Bennett, and Denise Lage.
the cost to put up a fence around the entire fairgrounds would be astronomical. “And nobody wants that, not our community and not our vendors. When I talk to food vendors who have never been here before, I always tell them that there are people who come to the fair every night — some of them twice — for meals.” “We also have a lot of people who come to our fair who can afford to come from out of town because it is free,” she continued, describing the variety of people who have shared stories over the years that drive down from the Twin Cities and attend the SCFF over the State Fair because of ticket costs alone. Vendors — whether they be food or merchandise — take up a great deal of time outside of fair week as well. In January, a group of board members gathered in the Muckle Museum next to the fair office to stuff more than 450 envelopes that were then mailed out to vendors planning to attend the 2020 fair. The envelopes include everything that they need to know, including
information on camping, parking, the rules and regulations, the fire department codes, electrical codes, health department codes, animal health codes, insurance information and more. Some of the items include things that the fair office need back — such as the vendors insurance, sales tax forms, and licenses — which Deml says they typically have everything back by the beginning of June. “If we don’t hear from them by the middle of April we start making calls,” Deml added. “May is technically our deadline.”
With more than 300,000 people attending the Steele County Free Fair each year, the economic impact it brings to the area is roughly $10 million. While the fair week is the pride and joy of Steele County, it takes an army of people working hard all year long to put together the largest county fair.
their booths - Elmer (Reseland, the one-time manager of the fair) used to ask for their booth measurements to the inch from hitch to bumper — all the little things.” “We are looking at a waiting list for inside vendors,” Klein added, noting that this is the first time that she can recall in her 19 years at the fair office that this event has occurred. “We get called about it every day.”
Needless to say, from signing entertainment contracts to getting vendors situated to soliciting sponsorships, the office is the true backbone of the fair not only during fair The mailer process is just one of many week but during any week of the year. While motions the office staff and board members Kozelka is full time, Deml and Klein say they goes through when it comes to vendors, put in 20 to 25 hours a week at the office though. Kozelka said that they constantly are during the winter, moving to full time hours in considering the perfect equation to mix things May, and working a “minimum” of 40 hours a up throughout the grounds so that fairgoers week in August. will be exposed to different products. “I enjoy working here because I get to see “Every other day we are going through new results that make people happy,” Deml said. vendor applications,” Kozelka said. “We “It’s fun, but we have our stress, too.” need to know about their products, about
“It doesn’t matter where you go in the U.S., people know about our fair,” Klein said with pride. “We work all the time,” laughed Kozelka as the phone rang for the fifth time in less than an hour. “People are always coming into the office, whether it’s for information or to make a payment, and our phones are always ringing no matter what time of the year it is.” “It’s everyone’s fair and everyone loves being a part of the fair,” he continued. “It gets in your blood and becomes your passion.” The 2020 Steele County Free Fair is scheduled for Aug. 18 - 23.
