Project Dynamite

Alex Clark and David Kaplan are two of Hollywood's most traveled comics. Their edgy humor and high-energy charisma will blow you away. For the past five years they have performed coast to coast impressing audiences with their big stunts and outrageous jokes. It's easy to see why they have been voted best act, called side-split-tingly funny, and even billed as America's hottest export. This action packed duo show features astonishing stunts and memorable moments wrapped up into one hilarious presentation. Their grande finale brings danger to an all new level, David and Alex climb 20 feet into the air and balance atop six folding chairs to perform their most dangerous stunt.Catch their act and witness two rising stars on their climb to the top three times daily in the Flickertail Gardens July 24-28.

Exhibits and Collectibles

The Exhibitor Handbook will be on-line later on this week, so remember to get your entry forms in for all your exhibits and collectibles. We are now accepting education, art, and photography entries, so bring them on down!

If you have a special collection, then we would love for you to take part in the 2009 North Dakota State Fair Collectibles Show. Anything, from quilts to antique toys, can be displayed and judged. Entries are scheduled to be brought in Monday, July, 20th through Wednesday, July 22nd 8:00am-5:00pm and be picked up Saturday, August 1st from 6pm-10pm. Displays will be open from 10a.m.-10p.m. all nine days of the Fair. Exhibits are displayed in locked cases provided by the Fair. Awards include plaques and cash prizes for the 1st and 2nd place winners.

Bo Allen & Scarekrow July 24-27

Everyone at the North Dakota State Fair is very excited about our concert line up this year. However, we want everyone to know that there is also amazing talent performing on our free stages at the Fair as well. Bo Allen & Scarekrow are one of the concerts that will keep you entertained throughout your Fair experience at no extra cost.

This crowd-pleasing group has fans in nearly every state thanks to their laid back attitudes and hard rockin' shows. Like its members Bo Allen & Scarekrow is eclectic, personable, unique and brilliant. Take the dare to listen to their amplified country sound without tapping your foot or swinging your hips with the beat. Don't miss this country and southern rock inspired band, performing on the Flickertail Stage at 5pm & 10pm.

http://www.ndstatefair.com/freestages/

Horse and Pony Pull Competitions

The Horse and Pony Pull is a traditional Fair favorite! Ponies and Large draft horse teams, bred for their strength and agility, compete to see who can pull the heaviest load. The best horses in competition are worked every day to keep their muscles and tendons in top shape for pulling. Teams will be weighted to determine light or heavy weight class. During the pull, teams must stay within the boundary lines or they will be disqualified. Cash prizes are awarded to teams that place in the top 9 places! $500 goes to 1st Place in Horse Pull, and $350 to 1st Place in Pony Pull. Call NDSF at 852-FAIR and ask for a registration form or download a registration form Here.

Wanted: Miss Rodeo NDSF 2010

Young ladies ages 18 to 22 are invited to compete in the Miss North Dakota State Fair Pageant on Friday, July 24, 2009. Pageant contestants will be judged in horsemanship, modeling, speech and a personal interview. The Pageant Queen will receive a traveling silver crown, 2010 pageant belt buckle and many prizes including: clothing, gift certificates, barrel saddle, Montana Silversmith jewelry and much more. She will also represent the North Dakota State Fair at the 2011 Miss Rodeo North Dakota Pageant in October 2010.

Contact the State Fair Office at 701-857-7620 or Pageant Coordinator Leslie Herslip at 701-578-4953 or pagcoordinator@yahoo.com

Ashley Geisinger Miss North Dakota State Fair 2009

Introducing........Our Marketing Interns!

Greetings Fair fans! We would like to introduce you to our marketing interns for the summer, Devin and Ashley. They will be behind the scenes helping us keep everything running smoothly. Here’s a little about them so you can become acquainted and find out what they will be up to this summer.

“Hey guys! Ashley M. here, I’m a sin city local who moved to Minot three months ago for “a little” change of scenery. I recently graduated from the University of Nevada Las Vegas where I attained a bachelor degree in Business Marketing. My aspiration is to get involved with event planning, which is why I was drawn to working at the Fair. What event could be more fun to be apart of than THE event of the year, the North Dakota State Fair?! I am learning a lot already and trying to stay prepared for anything that comes my way, whether it is flying dodgeballs or crazy mascots, I’m up for the challenge.”

Hi, Devin Bell here! I am a fun, outgoing and love to have a good time. Currently, I am studying marketing at Plymouth State University in New Hampshire. I have always been very interested in event planning so I decided the Fair would be a great place to experience it. The State Fair is a fun upbeat environment and I want to keep it that way with my events. What I have on the schedule for this year includes a sandbox to a clown contest to a greased pig contest. It doesn’t stop there though. Come check out the State Fair for the rest!

Thanks for taking the time to get to know our new interns. We are very excited to have them! Together they will also be keeping Fairgoers updated about on Facebook, MySpace, Blogger and Twitter!

NDSF Welcomes Back Two Amazing Summer Assistants

The North Dakota State Fair has two great summer assistants that we would like to introduce. Katie H. and Amber A. are back to make sure you get your concert tickets and answer all your questions. Here is some background information on these two awesome little helpers.

“Hi everyone! My name is Katie H. and I work as one of the assistants in the North Dakota State Fair office. This is my second Fair and I love my job! I answer the phones and enjoy talking to all of you about your fun times at the Fair. Among the countless things that make the fair run, I get to help sell tickets and make sure everyone gets a ribbon for their hard work. I started off at Minot State University towards a degree in Public Relations and Marketing and will finish up in a couple of years at the University of North Dakota. Working at the Fair has been a great experience! I can’t say enough about the wonderful people I get to work with and how much they have taught me along the way. We keep pretty busy around here but when the fair rolls around all of the hard work pays off! Can’t wait to see you at the 2009 State Fair!”

“Hello! My name is Amber A. This is my second year working as an assistant for the Fair and I love it!!! I get to work with fantastic people that make all the Fairs a great success! I just recently graduated from Williston State College with my Associates of Arts Degree. I will be continuing my education next year at Dickinson State University in hopes to become an Elementary Education teacher. I played basketball for WSC Tetons for my two years there and I will get to play two more years at Dickinson State. The North Dakota State Fair has always been the highlight of my summers and always is a fun time! Working here I have gotten to experience the fair from the inside. I have seen how much work and dedication it takes into making your fair a great success and I hope you enjoy it!!”

As you can see, you are in good hands this year at the Fair. We are so glad to have an office team that truly loves the Fair. Thanks for taking the time to get to know these two members of our team!

It's Official - A New Grandstand is on the Way!

On Friday afternoon Governor Hoeven visited the Grandstand to sign the legislation allocating $15 million for the construction of a new North Dakota State Fair Grandstand. The current Grandstand was constructed in 1955 and has long needed to be replaced. The Grandstand was full of cheers and smiles as Hoeven signed the legislation. Senator Krebsbach, a huge proponent of the Grandstand helped make the funding a reality. A State Fair Grandstand committee will meet with the architects on Tuesday to begin the planning phases of this project. Demolition of the current Grandstand will take place after Labor Day weekend. The new Grandstand should be ready by July 23, 2010, just in time for the Fair!

Barrel Bash among new Competitive Events for 2009

This 4D, NWBRA and WPRA approved, Barrel Bash will take place during the last weekend of the Fair. The race will be a cloverleaf pattern with the fastest time winning. Exhibitions start at noon on Friday, July 31 with the event starting at 6pm. Saturday exhibition starts at 8am, Youth Barrel Race at noon with $500 added. Open Barrel Race to follow the youth with $2,000 added.  

Buckles will be awarded to the average high money rider in each division over two days and awards to high money youth riders on Saturday. This Barrel Bash will serve as a BBR World Finals Double Qualifier. Competitors can sign up at www.barrelbash.com 

 A second new horse competition during the Fair will be the Draft Horse Events Show on Saturday, July 25 at 5:30pm. Draft horses from across the state will compete in events such as Log Skidding, the Cloverleaf and an Obstacle Course. Large horse teams will have to demonstrate strength, agility, and much more than just their pulling abilities. 

A new Jr. Swine Sweepstakes contest has also been added to the Livestock Schedule for 2009. This contest will consist of Showmanship, a Judging Contest, Skill-a-thon and Live Pig Placing. Prizes will be awarded based on a points system the event will take place on Saturday, August 1. Finally, an Open Class Boer Goat Show will take place on Saturday, August 1 in the back of the Jaycees Building in the Jaycees Show ring.

ND Tourism Conference

The North Dakota State Fait attended the North Dakota Tourism Conference during the begining of the week in Grand Forks. The conference opened on Friday night with an 80's party with Brat Pack, which was beyond entertaining! The next two days were filled with tons of great information. Speakers included Dr. Jeff Stamp (the inventor of Baked Lays), Matt Bailey (SEO guru) and The Honourable Lynda Haverstock (CEO of Tourism Saskatchewan). Conference attendees had the opportunity to learn about handling and recovering from emergencies, attracting and keeping happy workers as well as the importance of hospitality training. The conference closed out with a very positive tourism update from Sara Otte Coleman and the ND Tourism team. 

North Dakota State Fair Photo Contest!

Submit your photos to nichole@ndstatefair.com and your picture just might be the North Dakota State Fair Pic of the Day on Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter. By submitting your photos you are giving The North Dakota State Fair rights to utilize your photos, which means your talent could land you a spot on the North Dakota State Fair website, in the newspaper, on a billboard, in a magazine or in a brochure. If we use your photos to advertise the Fair you’ll even win NDSF Swag! Submit your photos now and check back daily to see if you have won bragging rights as the State Fair photo of the day!

Don’t forget to include your name and where you are from when you send in your photo.

Win FREE Concert Tickets!

The Dakota Square Mall in Minot is giving you the chance to win 2 Grandstand Showpasses and 2 Motley Crue tickets! Not to mention a $250 Dakota Square Mall Gift Card!  Click here to sign up. Very soon you'll even be able to purchase your Grandstand Showpasses at the Dakota Square Mall Guest Services Counter. Also, get yourself registered for weekly  ticket drawings for individual concerts and events at the Fair at www.ndstatefair.com

Your Business at the Fair!

If you are looking to have your business and products viewed by nearly one third of North Dakota's population you must be at the Fair! There are two ways for you to gain exposure on the Fairgrounds, through a sponsorship or by becoming an exhibitor. Commercial exhibits are a great way to get your business in front of a lucrative North Dakota market. If early ticket sales numbers are any indication, this will shape up to be a record breaking year for attendance, meaning even more customers will be visiting your booth. The cost of becoming a vendor over the nine days of the Fair starts at only $300. Whether you are selling ag products, machinery, food, clothing or trinkets, get started by clicking here and filling out a booth application. Sponsorships are another way to increase the visibility of your business on the Fairgrounds. The Fair works with any size budget, click here to visit our sponsorship web page for more information on partnering.

Still a few tickets left!

As of this afternoon, only 9 days after tickets went on sale, we have a mere 400 Reserved Grandstand Showpasses left! Our advice to you, if you want a reserved seat get your tickets as soon as humanly possible! The seats we have remaining are still excellent seats in sections Z and U. We also have seats in the wheelchair accessible row. Seats in sections X, Y, V and W are available for General Admission ticket holders and are available on a first come first serve basis the night of the concert. Gates open at 7pm for 8pm concerts! Tickets can be purchased at www.ndstatefair.com/tickets or by phone at 701-852-FAIR.

You don't want to be the only person in the State who misses out on Taylor Swift, Rodney Atkins, Heidi Newfield, Dierks Bentley and Gary Allan!

Don't Delay get your tickets Today!

Grandstand Showpass tickets are now on sale! Get yours soon, the Reserved tickets are selling like hot cakes! Additional tickets on sale include Daily Gate Passes, Season Gate Passes, Advanced Mega Ride Pass and the Family Fun Pack.

This year’s Showpass ticket includes admission to:
Taylor Swift, July 25
Rodney Atkins and Heidi Newfield, July 26
Enduro Race, July 27
Demolition Derby, July 28
The Devonshires with Classic Car Show, July 29
Gary Allan July 30
Dierks Bentley on July 31.

The Showpass is $65 for general admission and $75 for reserved seating.

Visit www.ndstatefair.com/tickets or call 701-852-FAIR to get your tickets today!