Fair Enough
It's a terrible thing whenever a fire breaks out at a county fairground and destroys a treasured structure. Such was the case a couple weeks ago when a blaze took down one of the barns at the St. Joseph County (Mich.) Grange Fairgrounds in Centreville.
The barn was currently being used as winter storage for boats and trailers, so that made the total losses, estimated at $2.8 million, much higher. The cause of the April 27 fire was a short in one of the power lines.
As of early this week, the fair board hadn't decided how to move on. I would expect the fair to rebuild, but what would a new building look like? Part of the answer depends on the insurance payment and the other part of the answer depends on the fair's long-term plans.
While losses like this are discouraging, the fair board can turn a negative into a positive with the right move(s). The loss of an old barn creates an opportunity to replace it with a new, more modern structure. After the debris has been cleaned up from last month's fire, the fair can begin planning what that new barn will look like. That's the fun part.
As an example, the Elkhart County 4-H Fairgrounds in 2007 lost a concession stand due to fire during the Mennonite Relief Sale. The fair not only rebuilt the food stand but replaced it with a much larger one.
According to its website, the St. Joseph County Grange Fair is ranked among the top five fairs in Michigan. It dates to 1851 and is still one of the most popular fairs to visit in the state.
It didn't happen that way by accident. Over the years, the fair board has improved the annual exhibition in various ways. New buildings are one part of the strategy. What does the fair need and what is the timeline for addressing those needs? Only the fair board can answer those questions, but it will be interesting to see what they do.