Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By P.J. GLISSON
Ironwood — The location for the 2024 Gogebic County Fair has been declared officially as the Pat O’Donnell Civic Center in Ironwood.
Fair Board members had been optimistic about the change in venue, and the Gogebic County Board of Commissioners also had voted to approve the switch from the county fairgrounds.
But Jay Kivisto, manager of the Civic Center, assured on Tuesday that his board of directors also now has made it official.
Regarding Fair Board members, he said, “Our Civic Center board met last week, and we agreed to work with them. That was an official vote that we agreed to let them use the building.”
But he also cautioned that the action was just one step among many to go.
“We’re kind of in preliminary stages,” he said. “There’s a lot of planning yet to be done.”
For instance, said Kivisto, there is “nothing set in stone yet” in relation to how the Civic Center building will be used, although Fair Board members already have discussed using the center for indoor exhibits that normally would be displayed in the fairground exposition building or multipurpose building.
Although Fair Board members have discussed the possibility of holding a livestock auction inside of the center, Kivisto said, “That has not been approved yet.”
He added that decisions also need to be made regarding the outdoor space surrounding the Civic Center.
Kivisto said that outdoor space, including the Civic Center’s own parking lot, is owned by Gogebic Community College.
Hence, the Fair Board also is working with college officials to determine how parking can be managed or how and where to position livestock and a carnival.
So far, GCC’s Board of Directors has approved the use of the Civic Center parking lot and the college’s main parking lot for use by officials and visitors of the fair.
A general schedule of events has yet to be set, but the Fair Board is considering sticking with the standard 4-day long weekend — scheduled from Aug. 8-11 — but reserving Thursday only for registration.
The Fair Board also expects to keep live music local.
Whether to charge admission, or how to charge it, is still in question.
According to Fair Board member Linda Nelson, the fair’s horse shows this year will be scheduled at the Iron County Fairgrounds, where a proper arena is available.
There will be no rodeo this year.
Moving the location of the fairground was necessary when county commissioners voted in October of last year to disallow for this year any major activity, including the fair, at the Gogebic County Fairgrounds in Ironwood.
Following last year’s demolition and an unexpected fire, commissioners claimed that, in the interests of safety, it would be prudent to keep the public off the fairgrounds during a series of pending construction projects.
Kivisto said that, as plans progress for this year’s fair, he expects the Civic Center board to engage in additional related votes.
He added that, on Monday, he expects a couple of Fair Board members to attend the next Civic Center board meeting.
The Fair Board also has a regular meeting scheduled for that evening.
