File Photo November Reinoehl received a private ventriloquy lesson with Linda Mohagen after taking shelter under Mohagen’s tent due a sudden thunderstorm.

BISMARCK — The Pierce County Fair could gain another source of funding for its infrastructure improvements if North Dakota legislators look favorably on House Bill 1591.

The bill would provide County Fair Resiliency Grants of up to $100,000 to county fair associations through the North Dakota Agriculture Department.

Don Jelsing, vice president of the Pierce County Fair, outlined plans to relocate the fair because of the need for more space in speaking to the House Agriculture Committee Jan. 30.

He said the fair has been getting by using a piece of land owned by the Rugby Park Board but now needs to relocate. More and larger rides require more carnival space and the current site has a slope that creates a safety issue for rides, he said. More room is needed for roads, pedestrian pathways, parking, an outdoor horse arena, exhibit areas and shaded areas for fairgoers, he added.

The fair board has been repairing holes in an exhibit building, redoing water lines, replacing bathrooms that are more than 50 years old, Jelsing said.

File Photo Greg Kaler, also known as “The Bubbler” and “George of the Juggle,” was among free acts at the Pierce County Fair last weekend. He used large nets on poles to cast hundreds of bubbles which children of all ages ran to pop.

“We are not solely here to talk about patching a hole in a roof or replacing a bleacher,” he told legislators. “Yes, it’s important. But we all need to look into the future.”

He called the investment into county fair facilities an investment into the future.

“Good usable fair buildings store memories. They hold educational dreams of families spending time together that will stay with not only your youth but adults also,” he said. “Without maintaining the infrastructure or those memories, there won’t be those country fairs, along with those memories.”

The agriculture department provided testimony regarding a 50% match requirement in its administration of the program, although that is not specified in the bill. The bill would provide up to $3 million for County Fair Resiliency Grants to be shared by about 30 county fairs in the state.

The Agriculture Committee voted 12-1, with one member absent, for a “do pass” recommendation, which sends the bill to the House Appropriations Committee for further consideration.

The bill has the support of the North Dakota Farm Bureau, Farmers Union and Stockmen’s Association.