Grandstand Entertainment

Before I started working at the Fair I was under the impression that it was really easy to book Grandstand acts. I had my list of who I thought should be at the Fair: Rascal Flatts, Taylor Swift, Jonas Brothers (don't judge me), Kid Rock, Kenney Chesney (again). I'm beginning to understand that booking bands for the Grandstand is one of the hardest jobs and you truly can never please everyone! Over the next couple of posts I'm going to answer common questions we get and explain how we book acts and why we book them.

For starters we tend to book two rock acts and four country acts each summer. This is primarily due to our customer demographics, we conduct surveys during and after the Fair to get an idea of what bands our attendees are looking for. Once we know what there is an interest for we can start working with our agent to see who's available.

The Gothard Sisters

The Elephant and Tiger Show and Petting Zoo from a post before have filled their dates and will not be able to be at the North Dakota State Fair. I still think that these are both great acts so without a doubt we'll try again for them in 2010.

On a lighter note at the Rocky Mountain Association of Fairs we were introduced to three sisters who knew how to wow an audience. The majority of our office has nearly fallen in love with these adorable girls. The Gothard Sisters are champion Irish dancers (kind of like Riverdance but way cuter and not creepy) who also play fiddle and violin while dancing. They would be a perfect fit for our Jukebox Junkie Stage and serve as a great Free Stage edition.

RMAF Convention Wrap Up

The remaining days of the conference were filled with hilarious key note speakers, motivating workshops and awe inspiring entertainers. Two excellent speakers at the conference were Patrick McGaughey, a self proclaimed Enter-trainer who spoke on increasing sponsorships, and Dr. Marty Becker, who is a popular veterinary contributor to Good Morning America that kept us all laughing while discussing the bond between humans and animals. Both speakers came across extremely intelligent yet light hearted and had a lot of information to contribute to our Fair-themed discussions. All in all it was a great four days in Idaho. After every meal was a showcasing session. This is when entertainers could perform for us. I felt bad for the entertainers since they are performing in front of some of the toughest critics, a room full of talent buyers! That said there were some pretty ugly showcases but for the most part we found some great talent including The Gothard Sisters. Next conference: IAFE here we come!

Rocky Mountain Assoc. of Fairs Convention

One of the best parts of working at the Fair is going to conferences. Conferences give us the opportunity to meet with other fairs and learn about what they are doing. The fair industry is unique so it's great to be able to talk with people who understand the different situations of a fair. We also get the chance to meet with many entertainers and individuals from the Fair service industry. Five staff members from our office woke up at 3am yesterday morning to fly out to Coeur d' Alene, Idaho where we are attending the RMAF Convention. The RMAF is notorious for the exposure that entertainers are given to the Fairs that purchase them, for us we buy them for our free stages. The conference kicked off with a reception followed by several performances by entertainers. I'm not sure that any of them are what we were looking for at our Fair, but there are still many more entertainment showcases to come!

Upcoming State Fair Center Events

This week is a busy one at the North Dakota State Fair Center! Coming up on Thursday, November 13th from 5-8pm is the Chamber Showcase of Business. Learn about Chamber businesses as they showcase their products and services in a unique atmosphere. This year the theme is "It's a hoedown!" There's great prizes and plenty of delicious food. The event is sponsored by KXMC CBS13 and the Minot Area Chamber of Commerce. Cost is $10 per person.
November 15th and 16th will feature the Magic City Flea Market, a Holiday Truckload Sale and the Pride of Dakota Holiday Showcase. Visit the Pride of Dakota Holiday Showcases to find unique holiday gift ideas made in North Dakota. The showcase features gift items, clothing, accessories, food and condiments, decorative items and more. You'll be able to find something for everyone. Hours are Saturdays 10-5; Sunday 11-5, admission is $2, but kids under 12 are free.
You also get a free reusable bag with paid admission. Click here for a 2 for 1 adimission coupon.

State Fair Assoc. Annual Meeting

The annual meeting of the North Dakota State Fair will be held at The Ramkota at 1:00pm on Thursday, November 20, 2008 in Bismarck. We invite you to join us as we review 2008 and discuss the future of the North Dakota State Fair. This meeting will be your ticket to see a private viewing of a newly created 30-minute North Dakota State Fair documentary, “Our State Fair: The North Dakota Experience,” afterward Bob Wagoner will give a progress update on the proposed grandstand project.

Also on the agenda, three board members will be up for re-election including: Charles Meikle, Vice President, Spiritwood, District 5; Tim Clark, Director, Fargo, District 2; and Butch Haugland, Director, Ambrose, District 8.

State Fair Documentary, coming to a TV near you

Throughout the summer the North Dakota State Fair Association has been working with Prairie Public to create a documentary that captures the history and integrity of the State Fair. “Our State Fair: The North Dakota Experience” features footage from the 2008 State Fair as well as interviews with fairgoers, exhibitors, and fair officials. It also showcases archival photographs and historic video footage. The documentary will air on Prairie Public Tuesday, November 25 at 8:00pm and Thursday, November 27 at 8:30pm. Make sure to tune in, you just might see yourself on TV! Copies of the documentary can be purchased through the State Fair Office for $24.99 or online from Prairie Public.

Free Stages 1

Today I’m looking at two free stage acts, the first is a new petting zoo and the second is Tiger Encounter and Elephant Adventure, this looks like it would be a cool show. We had a really great petting zoo last year at the ND State Fair, but this year we’re looking to bring in something a little different, a petting farm. The petting farm will give Fairgoers the chance to milk a cow, pet and feed farm animals, watch baby chicks be hatched and see a sow and pig display. More pictures and information is available at http://www.fairanimalspecialties.com/



I think the tiger and elephant show would be pretty cool. They would do two Tiger shows and two Elephant shows on one stage each day. The elephants paint and play basketball while the tigers do tricks and jump through hoops. The price seems within reason, but before going any further I need to call around to other Fairs and check references. You can see show details if you go to http://www.artistsandattractions.com/ and click on the Tiger and Elephant link.