Blaine County Fair looks at building indoor arena

The Blaine County Fair Foundation was started at the end of last year to support the county fair and to make improvements on the grounds, including building an indoor arena for use all year round, a representative of the foundation said.  

The indoor arena, the most ambitious of the foundation's goals, would cost about $200,000, foundation Secretary Laura Kleinjan said Tuesday. The fundraising has just begun, Kleinjan said, adding that she anticipates it may take about a year to raise that kind of money.

The county already owns the parts to make the building. The unassembled building was donated a few years ago to the county, with the coordinated help of resident and Blaine County Sheriff Glen Huestis, by Malmstrom Air Force Base. The building, which is literally in pieces, will be assembled, Kleinjan said, on the north side of the George Ortner Arena. The outdoor arena will remain and continue to be used, she said.

"However, significant funding still needs to be raised for such things as the footings and actual construction of the building as well as some of the parts that are still needed, such as doors," a statement on the Blaine County Fair website says.

Two construction bids have already been received. It's now a matter of having money to award the work, Kleinjan said.

The upcoming fair will keep foundation members busy in the near future, but fundraising campaigns are already being planned once fair month is over, she said. Of those, a spaghetti dinner, a silent auction and 50/50 raffle are among the fundraising plans.

The intention is to raise the arena on the northeast section of the fairgrounds. In addition to plans of hosting fair events, it would also host 4-H events, barrel races, concerts, livestock auctions and, Kleinjan said, "pretty much anything."

The main reason for the proposed indoor arena, she added, is so people may have a place to ride their horses in the winter.  

The foundation will also support other needed projects to enhance the fairgrounds. Anyone who would like to donate can email [email protected], or call Kleinjan at 390-2651 or Blaine County Fair Board manager Wendy Warburton at 262-3185.

The foundation is a nonprofit, and donations are tax-deductible.