Show arena expansion planned

The McLeod County Fairgrounds will, hopefully, be seeing a much-needed addition to the existing show arena building. The proposed addition features an 80-by-100-foot multi-purpose extension that adds desperately needed space and a concrete walkway for accessibility to the new building. The estimated cost of the project is $150,000. Around two-thirds of that will be covered by private donors, some of which has already been donated and some of which is anticipated.
“If everybody who benefitted in some way from 4-H turned around and donated $100, we’d be able to purchase an entirely new fairgrounds in my opinion,” County Commissioner Joe Nagel said at a public meeting last week. Private donations are a mobilizing force behind this project, and typically alumni from 4-H tend to give back as often as they can.
“It’s tough times for the industry,” said Ricky Schiefelbein, a representative from the American Foods Group and a donor, in response to a question about the necessity of the project. “This will bring more people to the fairgrounds,” he said, adding to the notion that McLeod County already has the best county fairgrounds in the state, and this will only help bring in more people. Everybody knows what an influx of visitors can do for a town’s economy, benefiting local business as well as the fairgrounds.
Economically speaking, Schiefelbein has a point. Even a small upgrade like this could make a big impact in getting more people interested in what the fairgrounds has to offer. Since the facilities are open to renting year-round, the addition will bring added revenue and save several thousand dollars per year in tent costs.
For more about the planned expansion, see the April 4 print edition of The Chronicle.