The Southeast State Fair is opening tomorrow at noon. Fair staff and vendors are getting ready for the four day celebration. We went to see the preparations.
The fifty third Southeast Alaska state fair is about to open its gates. On site, organizer Amanda Randles could be found in her office, juggling phones and requests.
Randles: “It is a mad rush. It is chaos, it is running around finding things, where did this go, quick somebody call this person, oh, this volunteer is going to have to switch to this day. It’s absolute chaos and it’s part of the fun.”
Randles says the fair is fully booked with vendors and food booths, and the musicians have started showing up.
Randles: “We have been picking up musicians who are coming in, we have bands from Outside who are discovering Alaska for the first time, which is really fun.”
There are enough acts that the Klondike stage will be open this year.
On stage, we asked technicians what they are doing
“I’m kind of the middle of doing it right now. I’m setting up for the audio for the main stage.”
“We are getting these lights programmed for one of the shows.’
On the side, the Lack family is setting up their booth. The family band has been coming to every fair for the last ten years. Member Debra Aull explains.
Aull: “I think it was about ten years ago. We were on tour, we were in Dawson city. And we were supposed to go to Fairbanks and we had thirty people with us on tour, and everything fell through.”
By chance, they spoke with someone who gave them the contact for a Haines resident.
Aull: “And they are like Hey, call this guy, he loves having people, we called him up and he said come on over, all thirty of us, we had no idea the fair was going on, we somehow got into the fair and played, and we have been coming back ever since then.
The Lack family will perform every day around town during the fair, then go on to tour internationally.
Around the grounds, staff and volunteers are busy.
Ryan Stossel and his brother are dragging a lump of plastic the size of a bear.
Stossel: “We are moving the inflatable joust over to where it is going to be sitting for the fair, and, this one is the lighter one. The bounce house, way more heavy.”
And on the parking lot, Diz Kistler is pushing a contraption full of white chalk.
Kistler: “I’m chalking the parking lot so that when people come with their vehicles, particularly on Saturday, they’ll know exactly where there is a spot to park.
Amanda Randles, the organizer, says she still welcomes anyone willing to volunteer for the fair. Lots of hands are needed, to staff the entrance booths, operate the rides, and keep the games going.
