American Music Awards

As you all may know, the American Music Awards were on ABC last night and some of the North Dakota State Fair’s talent were among the winners. Taylor Swift won many titles, unsurprisingly, but her big accomplishment was winning Artist of the Year and beating Michael Jackson in the process. The other titles she has under her belt include Country’s Favorite Album and Favorite Female Artist, Adult Contemporary Favorite Artist, and Pop Rock Favorite Female Artist. The group Gloriana had some glory of their own last night when they won the fan voted award, T-Mobile BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST.

Click HERE for the AMA's homepage.

Grandstand Photo Slideshow

State Farm's Gator Giveaway

Last month State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance gave away a child size John Deere Gator to Chasity Sevland of rural Granville.

Local State Fair Agents, Michael E. Braun and Kellie Thorman along side State Fair Manager Bob Wagoner were on hand to present Chasity's daughters Taylor, age 10 and Hunter, age 4 with her prize.

As a part of their sponsorship at the 2010 North Dakota State Fair they not only sponsored the Aussie Kingdom but they also manned a very successful commercial booth where they promoted their products and services as well as allowed individuals to register for the gator.

Grand time for Grandstand!

The Grandstand constuction remains to be on schedule on going well, the Minot Daily reported last Friday. Kim Fundingsland had the scoop and the newest updates from the architect:

        The target date for completion of the new grandstand being constructed at the North Dakota State Fairgrounds in Minot is July 1, 2010, just a few weeks before the start of the State Fair.
        The latest news from the architect is that the project remains on schedule and that the recent spell of nice weather deserves a portion of the credit.
        "Things are going really well," said Brian Berg, of Zerr-Berg Architects of Fargo. "We're proceding with concrete work and should have the underground foundation wrapped up by the end of the week. We're a quarter of the way into the steel framework below the stadium plank steel. We'll be halfway by (Monday) on the steel."
        Berg said he expected weather-related delays, but the construction crews have been able to take advantage of favorable conditions and keep the building project on schedule. Similar weather conditions in Grand Forks have also proven beneficial to the grandstand project. A Grand Forks firm responsible for making the precast sections to which the seats will eventually be anchored has completed its work. All of the sections are ready for shipment to the Minot site as soon as necessary.
        "We are looking forward to setting more steel in next month, the part below the risers. Then we'll start setting the steel for the overhead canopy. Sometime in late winter the highest part will go on," said Berg.
        Barring extreme winter conditions, Berg said he expects construction to continue. Most of the exterior of the grandstand will be covered by metal panels. A good portion of the masonary work is already complete and will be finished entirely once the overhead steel is in place.
        "Everything below 14 feet is masonary," said Berg. "Once things start getting enclosed we'll be able to pour more concrete and work on the interior."
        The new grandstand will have seating for approximately 7,000 people underneath the canopy. The     old grandstand had seating for 3,200 under a partial canopy and exposed bleacher seating for an additional 2,000.
        The 2010 North Dakota State Fair runs July 23-31.

To get more news from the Minot Daily crew go to http://www.minotdailynews.com/!

Weekend Festivities

Don't miss the Pride of Dakota Holiday Showcase and the Magic City Flea Market taking place at the State Fair Center this Saturday Nov. 14th and Sunday the 15th. It is $2.00 to enter and will be from 10am to 5pm on Saturday, 11am to 5pm on Sunday. Stop in to buy those unique holiday gift ideas such as clothing, accessories, food and condiments, antiques, coins, collectibles, toys, tools, books, crafts, baked goods and more! For more information about the Flea Market contact Rich Timboe at 701-852-1289. Click HERE to view more about the Pride of Dakota Holiday Showcase.

It's HOCKEY Time

Hockey season is here! The MHS girls hockey team's first home game is at 7:00pm on November 24th and the first boys home game is November 28th, with JV at 5:15pm and Varsity at 7:30pm.
If you want to make it to every home game of the season you can check out the North Dakota State Fair Center website or go to the team's websites for their season schedules:

MHS Boys Hockey

MHS Girls Hockey

MSU Club Hockey

The Beaver's are currently 9-1 this season and doing well! Their next home game is December 5th at 7:30pm at the All Seasons Arena. Come watch as everlasting rivalry continues when Minot State takes on their sister school Dakota College of Bottineau.

Open Skating at the ASA

Winter is approaching, but the good news is that open skating is starting at the All Seasons Arena. The first day of open skating will be Wednesday, November 11th from noon to 2pm. Saturday the 14th and Sunday the 15th will also be open to skate from 1 to 3pm.
If you don’t own you own skates, don’t fret! We offer skate rentals and skate sharpening for only $2.oo per pair.

The open skating schedule will be posted soon on the Minot Rec Commission Calendar. For further questions about open skating call (701) 857-4730.
Above is a picture of the NDSF grounds crew putting in the lines for the hockey rink. Did you know they were made out of a type of paper??

Happy Halloween from the State Fair Staff

All work and no play makes for a grumpy State Fair staff. Therefore we thought it to be pretty important to create a Halloween Monster Mash - Up from Oriental Trading Company. Click on NDSF Monster Mash to check out our staff do the Monster Mash in honor of Halloween. From our staff to yours Happy Halloween!

Miss Rodeo North Dakota 2010

The North Dakota State Fair would like to congratulate Ashley Geisenger of Bottineau, ND, our 2009 Miss Rodeo Queen. She was crowned Miss Congeniality at the Miss Rodeo North Dakota 2010 competition on Sunday at the Ys Men’s PRCA Badlands Circuit Finals.

Tiffany Kuntz of Bismarck, took the title. The current Miss Rodeo, Jessinta Hammer, of Kathryn, will reign for the remainder of this year until Kuntz takes her place next year. The first runner-up is Samantha Stanke, Miss Rodeo North Dakota Winter Show, West Fargo. Sadie Wardner, Miss Rodeo Mandan, Coleharbor, won the written test.

The Miss Rodeo pageants continue to be a great way for people to stay involved in the western way of life and for rodeo enthusiasts to come together.

Y’s Mens Rodeo Recap

If you didn’t make it to the Rodeo last night, it’s still not too late to get in on the action. Today from 10am to 8pm in the Upper Attrium of the State Fair Center is the Badlands Cowboy Christmas. Be sure to stop by to get your Tough Enough To Wear Pink t-shirts, so you can sport them tonight. The pre-show and the rodeo will begin at 6:30pm. If you haven’t bought your tickets yet you can still purchase them at the Y’s Mens booth in the Dakota Square Mall, by calling their ticket line (701) 852-5577, or you can purchase them in the front lobby of the State Fair Center starting at 5pm.

Tough Enough to Wear Pink gear for sale:

T-shirt: $10.00

Women’s Cut: $15.00

Koozie: $3.00

Bracelet: $2.00
Hats: $15.00

Keep your eye on our Facebook page today for your chance to win rodeo tickets. If you are the first to answer our trivia question correctlly you’ll be the lucky winner! For more information about the Y's Mens or other State Fair Center events click here.

Y's Men's Presents Business After Hours

The Y's Men's are showing some country hospitality again by hosting the October Chamber Business After Hours at the State Fair Center. The event takes place on Wednesday, October 7th from 5pm - 7pm. There will be dinner, drinks and tons of door prizes! The cost is $5 at the door and the event will take place in the Lower Atrium. Don't miss out on this great networking event!

Grandstand Update from the Boss

Ever since the concluding fireworks of the 2009 North Dakota State Fair, the staff and grounds have been a flurry of activity.   The salvaging of some elements and demolition of the balance of the grandstand was all finished in short order.  Driving the pilings, excavating and beginning the concrete work is all currently underway.   The North bleacher section was left intact to accommodate the Nodak Racing schedule, which closed out the season with races as part of the  Labor Day weekend Motor Magic event.

The bids for the third bid group are being opened on September 10, 2009.   This being the biggest of the bid groups for the grandstand project will provide a great measure for keeping the project on budget.   The grandstand will include 7,082 seats under a roof with 8,000  general admission standing between the grandstand and stage.   The grandstand will feature some 180 toilet fixtures, 22,000 sq ft of spacious concourses, concession areas, and an upscale  pub area with an indoor/outdoor capacity of 450.   The state fair board recently named the new pub “The Carousel”.   The Carousel, along with the restrooms that service it will be heated and air-conditioned for year round use. 

The grand opening will be Friday July 23, 2010.  The entertainment lineup for the grandstand’s inaugural season is currently being negotiated, and I assure you it will be worthy of this great addition to your State Fair.

- Bob Wagoner, NDSF General Manager

Let's talk Rodeo!

The Minot Y's Men's Rodeo is only 1 week away but there are still plenty of tickets left. In their 55th year and 3rd year as being a PRCA Rodeo the Y's Men are bringing out the big guns. From Mutton bustin to Ranch Rodeo, Barrel Racing and Cowboy Christmas there's something for everyone to get excited about. They are also bringing in some big names. The Announcer will be 8-time PRCA Announcer of the Year, 21-time WNFR Announcer, PRCA Hall of Fame and Cowboy Hall of Fame inductee Mr. Bob Tallman. The Barrelman will be 5-time PRCA Comedy Act of the Year, 4-time WNFR Barrelman and 1-time Coors Man of the Year Mr. Troy Lerwill.

We're hiring!

The North Dakota State Fair is hiring a full time Marketing Assistant. Position responsibilities will include: organizing and coordinating events, marketing and promoting the All Seasons Arena and State Fair Center, updating social media applications, producing marketing/advertising materials, attracting sponsors and performing general office duties. Individuals must be detail orientated, have the ability to work on multiple projects, posses strong organizational skills, computer skills as well as excellent oral and written communication skills. Marketing or event coordination experience or related degree is preferred.

Please send resume and cover letter to:

North Dakota State Fair, Attn: Shannon Pearson, PO Box 1796, Minot, ND 58702

Ole and Lena

In honor of Host Fest starting tonight it only seems fitting for a few Ole and Lena jokes!

• When Ole and Lena were young and in love they would got to their favorite spot to park. One night while hugging and kissing Ole asks Lena, "Lena how would you like to go in the back?" "No," she replies. So they hug and kiss some more. Again, Ole asks Lena to go in the back. Lena replies, "Ole, why are you always asking me to go in the back, I want to stay in front with you!"

• Little Ole was sitting at the kitchen table doing his homework. He had a puzzled look on his face at he considered the assignment that was due--writing an essay about his origin. He turned to question his mother. "Mama, vere did Grandma come from?" he asked. "Da stork brought her," answered mama Lena. "And vere did yew come from?" asked Little Ole. "Da stork brought me," his mother answered. "And vere did I come from?" Little Ole inquired. "Vell, son, da stork brought yew, tew," mama Lena replied. With a scowl on his face, Little Ole picked up his pencil, turned to his school tablet, and began writing his essay: "Dere have been no natural births in our family for t'ree yenerations."

Thanks to Visit Minnesota for these jokes!