MISSOULA — The Western Montana Fair is returning to Missoula with carnival rides, rodeos, and once-a-year food offerings as the fairgrounds unveil expanded seating in their new grandstands.
"We have Vikings, we have lemon dairy. We have so much barbecue, it's unbelievable," said Missoula County Fairgrounds events and operations manager Billie Brown.
The newly constructed grandstands feature additional seating on both the east and west ends, designed specifically for this year's events.
"We're really excited about the new class car arena, and we've added additional seating on the east and the west ends, and it's got a lot of space for community connection, and that's what we designed it for," Brown said.
Here's a look at what you'll find at the upcoming Western Montana Fair:
With thousands of visitors expected daily, fair organizers are prioritizing safety throughout the event.
"Every single day, every ride is inspected, not just by our staff, but again, Dennis with DNS consulting, is here, and he'll monitor it the whole time. We monitor the weather, the lightning, the rain, everything," said Marque Lundgren, general manager of Paul Maurer Shows.
Rides will operate from noon until 11 p.m. each day starting Tuesday. While admission to the fair is free, some events require tickets.
Lundgren offered advice for families looking to save money on carnival rides.
"If you got that wristband, it's a great deal. If you're a parent out there and you got a little one, and you're trying to decide between a wristband or tickets. 10 rides is kind of the rule. If you're going to ride more than 10 rides. It's worth it to get the wristband," Lundgren said.
Brown also warned visitors about potential ticket scams.
"As soon as our tickets go on sale, there's a lot of pop-up websites that show up in Google that look like tickets for the Western Montana fair, and they are not. So you're going to want to make sure you buy your tickets@westernmontanafair.com," Brown said.
The fair runs from August 5 through August 10. Check out the schedule of events here.
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