Summer’s work results in new stage, fresh look at Othello Fairgrounds

OTHELLO — Fresh paint, new sidewalks and a brand-new entertainment stage are the visible results of a summer’s worth of work by volunteers, and with the help of local companies and organizations, at the Othello Fairgrounds.

“We’ve made a lot of improvements,” said Othello Fair Board Member Katy Stovern.

Stovern said volunteers provided a lot of the labor to give the fairgrounds a general sprucing up. They were helped by donations of money, materials and labor from local businesses, and assistance from Adams County.

The Othello Fair opened Wednesday and will continue through Saturday.

The old entertainment stage next to the fair office was replaced with a brand-new stage, and a concrete pad added in front of the stage. Stovern said that’s the dance floor. The old stage was recycled, being moved across the grounds to the area where competitions are held.

All the permanent buildings got, or will get, a fresh coat of paint.

“There was a lot of painting,” said Aaron Stovern, Katy Stovern’s husband and one of the volunteers.

“A lot of painting,” Katy Stovern added.

The commercial building is the last one in line for a paint job and will get its update after the fair.

Sidewalks were replaced near the fairgrounds entrance, at the bathrooms and in some sections around the buildings, and concrete landings replaced dirt around the entries of some exhibit buildings. Fair board volunteers found some benches for seating; they also obtained some wooden spools used to hold wire, painted them and turned them into tables.

Some of the improvements may not be as visible, but they can be heard. Electrical wiring was improved throughout the grounds, which allowed expansion of the intercom system.

“We rewired everything,” Aaron Stovern said.

The fair committee received donations from Columbia Basin Health Association to offset the cost of lumber to build the new stage. Pegram Construction donated the cement for the pad in front of the stage, and crews from Avista prepped the site before the concrete pad was poured, Stovern said. Avista crews also assisted in installing the roof. Farmers Electric, Othello, did the electrical wiring for the new stage. Fair volunteers provided most of the labor.

“We spent all summer building that,” Stovern said.

Avista crews also assisted in stringing the new electrical wiring around the fairgrounds.

“The community – they were happy to help,” Stovern said.

The committee also expanded the area for children’s activities, called the Kids Zone, adding an obstacle race course of hay bales. The play area – where the stick horses and bean bag toss game are set up – received an artificial turf rug. The fair committee also added more games, an oversize Jenga-like stack of blocks and a big connect-the-dots.

The Kids Zone was being supervised by volunteers from Othello High School on the first day of the fair. Sometimes OHS students provide labor at the fair in exchange for donations to their club or team, but these guys were just doing it for fun, Gabriel Alfaro said.

“We’re just volunteering,” Julio Gomez said.

“We’re doing it for Katy,” Alfaro said.

Stovern said she got involved with the fair board when the family moved to town and was looking to meet people. The goal is to attract as many fairgoers as possible, and improvements help with that, she said.

“We only survive by people coming in,” she said. “We want this fair to succeed. All the money we earn goes right back to the fair.”

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at cschweizer@columbiabasinherald.com.