For the next five days, the Missoula fairgrounds will be buzzing with life, the smells of fried food and the screams of roller coaster rides and rodeos.
General admission and most of the Western Montana Fair is free to the public, which organizers said allows people to come and go as they please. A new carnival and more competitive exhibitions should bring new excitement under the forecast of long, hot days.
“This year is a little more streamlined and has a good energy to it,” fair organizer Emily Brock said as the carnival rides took off behind her Tuesday.
Some of the fun has already begun. Shooting competitions and 4-H animal judging from alpacas to chickens began last week.
Things kick off on Wednesday with First Nations Family Day, with indigenous dances and games open to the public. The evening’s extreme bull riding performance is dedicated to missing and murdered indigenous women and girls.
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Live music from Pinky and Floyd will close the night. Brock said every evening and night there will be a free live band at Fairway Plaza. Thursday features former “The Voice” contestant Tommy Edwards. Drunken Hearts will play on Friday and Dammit Lauren will finish the series on Saturday.
Throughout the day, there will be classic fairground races, including the Rochambeau barrel race, musical chairs and bubble-blowing contests on the historic square. Winners will receive a prize each day.
The Missoula Stampede PRCA Rodeo will open in the fairgrounds on Thursday, which will run in the background for most of the fair. The first night of roping and racing is titled “Hard Enough to Wear Pink” to help raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research.
Brock said the rodeo will attract both fairgoers and those from back home, as the rodeo will be broadcast live on The Cowboy Channel.
“It can get 40 million people in prime time,” Brock said. “Our rodeo has always been good, but now we’re getting national attention.”
On Friday, fair organizers are putting the spotlight on fairground biking and will offer the first 250 bikers a $2 meal voucher for each participating food booth. Missoula In Motion will provide bike valet from noon to 9 p.m., and the nonprofit organization Freecycles will be on hand to teach bike maintenance techniques from noon to 6 p.m.
On Saturday, 4-H and FFA kick off their annual livestock sales, where youth working on animal projects can sell their animals. Saturday is also the last day to enter the Fur & Feather Silent Auction, which will close at noon.
The competitions have also grown from last year, now taking up the entire commercial building at the fair. Brock said there are 1,000 new exhibit entries, which list art, clothing or other craft projects from around the region.
Scattered throughout the fairgrounds are dozens of food vendors, some traveling and others local favorites. The Big Sky High School Marching Band trailer, which serves nachos, raises money each year to help supplement the band’s travel budget.
“For us, it’s just another way to involve ourselves in the fair,” said parent Ben Slater. Slater grew up going to the fair as a kid, got involved in 4-H and is now helping his kid at the Nacho stand. “It’s pretty cool to be a part of something that’s over 100 years old.”
Near the rodeo entrance of the grandstand, Ammar Omar worked to prepare three Arabic food trucks, Kamoon, Qataye and Rageef, which he owns and operates with three families in the city. He’s been doing the fair for three years in hopes of getting more people from outside of Missoula to enjoy Middle Eastern cuisine.
“We want more people to try our food and enjoy these Arabic flavors,” Omar said.
As the carnival game tents popped up around the rides, Izzy Murietta, a carnival worker, said Missoula is one of the most beautiful places he’s ever traveled for work. A new carnival contractor has brought back many of the same rides, such as the Zipper and Super Slide, while including two Ferris wheels for the fairgrounds.
“We’re here to have fun and make sure the kids have fun, too,” Murietta said.
The carnival opens at 11:00 a.m. each day of the fair. To check a complete schedule of events, visit missoulafairgrounds.com/2022-fair-schedule.
