Fair Board discusses GellyBall, new escape room and Easter egg hunt

At their monthly meeting Tuesday evening the Great Northern Fair Board looked at GellyBall as a new regular event at the fairgrounds and discussed progress on their long- and short-term plans for improvements to the grounds.

Fairgrounds Manager Frank English said GellyBall, similar to paintball albeit much safer and less energy intensive to set up, will likely be ready around March 25, which is also when the Easter-themed escape room and bounce houses should be getting set up.

Kat Horinek of Horinek’s Unique Memory Making said the projectiles fired are much lower-impact than paint balls, so there is little chance of injury as long as safety masks are being worn, and the GellyBall are biodegradable, requiring practically no cleanup when used outside.

“No bruising, no welting, no mess to cleanup afterward, nothing,” she said.

She said they do not stain clothing as they are filled with water instead of paint making it family-friendly.

The board also discussed recent improvements to grounds facilities including the installation of new sound systems in the lower arena and the Bigger Better Barn.

English said local architect Becki Miller is working on updated designs for the grounds’ new bathrooms.

He said the building for these new bathrooms will need to be put out to bid again due to some changes made in the earlier design phases.

He also said they’ve needed to scrap the idea of stainless-steel toilets in favor of porcelain due to expense.

English said he’s also talking to a structural welder to get an estimate on the office building repairs.

Hill County Extension Agent Colleen Pegar told the board her department is going to be holding a program on livestock disaster preparedness with veterinarians and agriculture and environmental specialists sometime between April and June.

She said she thinks this subject is relevant to the fairgrounds and she would keep them apprised of when the event would be held once they have a set date.

Fair Board Member Bob Kaul also provided an update on the board’s efforts to develop a long-range plan, saying he’s compiled a list of projects on the grounds that he and his fellow members will prioritize and divide out into year-long segments.

In the more immediate future of the grounds, Kaul said it’s going to be a busy spring of digging up waterlines that froze over the winter, and once the weather warms work can begin.

He also said he’s looking into getting the Bigger Better Barn’s double doors retrofitted with smash bars.

He said the bid for materials is a $1,545 and the project will require four hours of labor, but he doesn’t know how much those four hours will cost yet.

As for this year’s fair, Frank English said he and the board are continuing to talk with Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation tribal council about putting more events at the fair.

He also said he’s speaking with Box Elder Schools to see if they want to participate in events at the community center.

In the more immediate future, he said he’s also talking to a local non-profit about getting an Easter Egg Hunt at the fair for the upcoming holiday.