I'd like first to thank the Administration of the Mena Forum for providing the space here to have an area where the community can communicate easily with the Polk Co. Fair & Rodeo Assoc.

I was elected onto the Fairboard in 1997 and was elected President 3 years later. I'm in my 7th term as the President of the Fairboard.

We've seen a lot of changes in the fairgrounds in recent years. It could have not been done without the support of the community. We're in the upper echelon of County Fairs in Arkansas surpassing many counties that are much more populated with both citizens and industry.

I'd like to utilize this space to let you know what's going on at the Fairgrounds, how you can participate, how you can help if you'd like to, and also to answer any questions you might have.

On behalf of the Board of Directors and myself, I welcome your praise, a pat on the back is all the Board members get for the effort they put into the fairgrounds, and I also welcome your sincere criticism. If we don't know where we're messing up, it's hard to know just what to do to do better! Knowing it's impossible to please everyone, we do our best to please as many as we can.

I'll answer each and every question as to the operation of the Fairgrounds to the best of my ability, if I don't have the answer, I'll get it. Occasionally , I hear rumors about the Board or it's operation, as I'm sure you do. Please, don't hesitate to bring these matters up and I'll do my best to affirm anything that's truthful and dispel anything that's not.


Thank You,

Bill

Hello Bill
Love the Fairgrounds. Can one use the venue for events like Horsemanship
demos?

Yes indeed!

The arena used to see lots of use. For many years the Polk County Riding Club utilized it for a monthly playday. They had a contract with the Fairboard for scheduled usage and mowing and weedeating was done instead of any kind of usage fee. A few years ago, equine interest started to dwindle in this area and the Club split several different directions and disbanded. Currently the regular usage is by the local ladies drill team and a new youth drill team.

You'll need to contact me if you wish to schedule a particular date and time to reserve the arena. A notice needs to be posted as early as possible indicating the reservation so one of the other groups knows to reschedule their practice around it if need be. I'll also post reserved dates here for the community to be aware of.

There is no charge for the arena if no electricity is used and entry and admission is free to the spectators/public. If there are vendors on hand at an event, we have a contract for them. Otherwise a fee of $150/ day + $10/hr for lights at night is charged for revenue generating events.

How can I help with the fair grounds and the fair board?

Hey Bill, can you post what is going to be held at the fairgrounds this year? A list of events/shows/sales? Thanks.

That would be SUPER! :agree:

And, Bill, thanks so much for your dedication and hard work for this fine facility and for the community! :thumb:

Thanks scooter, we're always looking for and greatly appreciate volunteer help. We're having a Work Day this Saturday beginning at 9 am to get the arena prepared for the Rodeo that is on Aug. 9th-10th and 11th this year. It'll involve mowing, weedeating, checking for and replacing weak boards in the bleachers, getting the restrooms ready for business, some fence repair, checking out arena lights, installing sponsors banners, work and repair on the rough stock pens, oiling the bucking chute gates, and possibly some touch up paint here and there.


Beyond that , we've got 800' of 6ft chainlink fencing we'd like to get up prior to the Fair. We're trying to get the parking lots developed to where it's more orderly and less confusing. The Board has decided to install the fencing down the south side of the #2 entrance and fence the Midway off from the parking area. We'll mark the lots with parking lines and everyone will just drive in off Fairground road and park without having to stop at a gate to take care of admission. The entrance to the Midway will be at the present Midway drive (the crossover drive) and will be where admission to the Fair is paid. This will be much easier both coming in and out. We've had so much rain this year that has delayed progress on this project and there's a possibility it won't be ready for this years events, but we're working on it as we can. We need help setting the posts and hanging wire.....on yeah.....the post holes are already dug thanks to Charlie Grosse!

We've got a couple of local Boy Scouts that are shooting for their Eagle designations and have plans to assist at the 'grounds. One troop plans to paint the pipe fence along Fairground road. This will go a long way toward helping the appearance of the grounds and is a great gift to the community from these young men.

The other troop has asked to help clean out the old education barn, which is being used for a storage building currently, and help convert it into a pavilion to house a bandstand and tables and chairs. This is a most welcome project that will provide not only a place under shade and shelter for our entertainment, but will be a great place to take a break and eat one of our great cheeseburgers or just visit and watch people. There's room on this project for extra volunteers also.

Whether we get the new fencing up and the RV hookups moved will determine how much help we'll need during the Fair. If the fence is up, we'll no longer need the 35 or so volunteers it usually takes to help everyone get into the fair. We'll only need a couple of folks on each gate to check passes to the Exhibitor lots and help with directions. We plan to have tractors and trailers providing hayrides from the parking lot to the admission gate if the fencing is up to eliminate some of the walk across the grounds since some of the parking will be as far as 1000 ft. away. We'll need volunteer trailers and responsible operators to operate the tractors. This program is still in development.


We need help with the Motosports Events. It takes lots of help with the admission gate, the registration table, safety men, concession help, .....there's more....we're still learning what these events will involve and all help is appreciated.


Well , there are the most pressing chores that need to be done currently. If you feel like you'd like to help with some or all of them in any way, you can show up this Saturday morning at 9 am to pitch in, or you can call the Fairgrounds Office at 437-FAIR and leave a message. If I don't call you back within a day or two, call and leave another. (it seems that lightening and power surges can dump messages off our machine, so please keep trying...I will get back to you!)

Fairboard Directors are selected from residents of the community that have a sincere interest in helping to provide the best grounds and events for the use, education, and entertainment to the community that they possibly can. For the past several years, we've been in the process of upgrading the grounds and facility to be able to provide better, more enjoyable events. It takes lots of revenue to slowly accomplish this. All Fairboard Directors are unpaid, most of the labor is unpaid, we do everything we can with the help of volunteers because it allows us to channel more of the revenue from events back into the grounds. The volunteers and Fairboard Directors do this for the community....when you're proud , it make us proud. That satisfaction and an occasional pat on the back seems to be the Directors reward.

Thanks, see you at the 'grounds!

Tapp Enterprises 3 Day Tool Sale Aug. 2-3-4

Polk Co. Rodeo - Aug. 9-10-11

Fair & Livestock Show Aug 28 - Sept. 1st. (this is a week earlier than previous years!)

ATV Rodeo Sept. 29th

To explain the scheduling of the Fair a week earlier this year.....


Our carnival, Tom Evans/Evans Bros, informed us last year that he was in the process of picking up 3 large shows in Texas the weeks following our show. These shows are 3 to 4 times bigger than our Fair. The size of our carnival has always been determined by the amount of parking space available after the carnival is set up. With the addition of more parking area at the 'grounds, we've been able to stretch out the carnival a bit more and add an additional ride or two. For the past several years, you've had to go quite a distance to find a Fair and Carnival to top ours in Polk County.

Our carnival used to come to Mena after a show in Joplin, Mo. Then go directly to Wichita Falls, TX after leaving Mena. A good portion of the carnival equipment had to go directly from Joplin to Wichita Falls because it just wasn't profitable for Evans Bros to bring it all through Polk County. With the addition of the 3 shows through east Texas and Dallas, that equipment will now be coming through our Fair.

We'll be getting the same carnival that events 3-4 times larger than we are will have!

We're looking forward to this years Fair & Livestock Show and the even larger Carnival.

And Focus....Thank you for the kind words......like I said...that's what we work for!

Good info Bill. :thumb:

Thanks Bill, kind of thought there was help needed out there but in no way did I know there was that much needed.
Count me in Saturday! :thumb:

Scooter, THANKS! We'll look forward to having your help.




skimmer, thank you too. I'm always glad to help the community understand that everything that's done at the Fairgrounds is intended to benefit the community with better grounds. The rental fees, gate admissions, concession profits......it all goes back into the grounds for maintenance and upgrading. We're always eager to consider new events that might help to further this cause.

bout time this topic went some where

Hey, we had a tremendous workday at the grounds last Saturday, and I'd like to thank all those that showed up to help.

Our soon to be Eagle Scout and his helpers got all the sun-flaked paint peeled off the midway restrooms and it now has a nice crisp coat of paint. We got several acres of bush-hogging, mowing, weedeating taken care of. We got most of the growth under the bleachers taken care of...(this is the most hated annual chore at the grounds.)

We also gutted out the inards of the roping boxes on the north end of the arena and redesigned/rebuilt them. The cowboys were having trouble with them after the last remodel and had requested a change. We finally found the right group of experts to assist in this in our own Frankie, Mike and Chris Lance of WestArk Poultry. These guys made the update possible, it couldn't have been done this year without them. Please thank'em when you see them if you support those that give to the community. Also in that catagory is Tony Craig of Craig's Welding and Fabrication. He joined the crew and provided the professional welding and fab work that the project demanded. All these fellas spend several late nights (Monday night till 1:30 am) away from their families to help finish the project by deadline. My most grateful Thanks again fellas!

There's still some last minute touches to finish, the rough stock will start arriving late this evening if any of you want to drive out and get a look.

Again, thanks to all that have helped so far with this years events! scooter if you made it out Saturday, I'm sorry I didn't get to meet you.