Behind the Business: Prepping for the Twin Falls County Fair

FILER, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) — “People ask me all the time what I do the other 51 weeks a year, and yeah, putting on a fair this size is not a one- or two-week process,” said Fair Manager John Pitz.

2023 marks the 107th year of the Twin Falls County Fair.

As the largest county fair in the region, getting something like this set up is no small task.

And for Fair Manager John Pitz; the day the fair ends, it’s on to the next.

“Usually by the first of October we start looking for the entertainment for the next year’s fair and we go to a couple associations and conventions, and we try to get a little showcase to see if that will fit at our fair or not,” said Pitz.

This year, the fair board expects to see between 75,000 and 85,000 people attend the six-day event.

And with that many people flocking to Filer, how much money does the fair except to make?

“The fair is break-even at best, it cost over a million dollars to put the fair on. Where we get the money for capital improvements, and stuff for the fairgrounds, is our ‘off-season event-rent’ as well as our sponsorships and that type of stuff,” said Pitz.

But it’s not just the big hats getting ready for the fair, vendors are also gearing up for the six-day gauntlet.

Jenks Family Grill has been the proud owner of a prime location for over 30 years.

And while it’s not exactly a year-long preparation process like the fair, it’s still weeks of work getting up and running.

“A week ago, on Saturday we started, and we come out several hours a day and do some setting up and then starting Saturday till the fair starts were here all day,” said DeeAnn Jenks – Jenks Family Grill.

And for the Jenks family, it’s all worth it.

“What I love is seeing people, so we see a lot of people we only see once or twice a year, and we get to see them here. And that’s what’s fun,” said Dallas Jenks – Jenks Family Grill.

The 2023 Twin Falls County Fair runs from August 30th though September 4th.

For a full list of events, activities and ticket prices, Click Here.

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