Grant County Fairgrounds maintenance workers Kory Peters, left, and Salvador Rodriguez make repairs to the roof of a building at the fairgrounds. Maintaining the fairgrounds’ facilities is a full-time job for four people, plus half a dozen more temps during the busy season.
June 5, 2025
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Solid Grounds: Fairgrounds staff works behind the scenes year-round
MOSES LAKE — Having a great fairgrounds doesn’t happen by accident. “It all comes down to having a great crew,” said Grant County Fairgrounds Manager Jim McKiernan. “I would put our crew up against anybody’s … People have a tendency to stereotype county workers (as) standing on the side of a road with a shovel underneath them. That is not our crew at all. They’re slamming all the time, doing stuff as it needs to be.” That crew consists of 10 full-time staff besides McKiernan: four in maintenance, four in events, one for accounting and a fairgrounds coordinator who keeps all the rest running smoothly. That number is supplemented by six seasonal workers brought on during the busy season, McKiernan said.