MENDOTA – The buzz around this year’s Mendota Tri-County Fest was louder than recent previously years.
And deservedly so as a carnival was coming back for the first time since 2018, events were held at the grandstands Thursday through Monday, the list of food and craft vendors was longer than normal, Funky Monkey Wrestling was brought in, and the exhibit halls were packed.
All of the above led to the Tri-County Fair on Thursday, Aug. 29 to Monday, Sept. 2 being one of the best in recent memory.
“It was phenomenal. We’re extremely pleased with everything from our sponsors to our vendors to our exhibitors to our every person who walked through the gates. It was a spectacular weekend for us,” said Carol Ramer, secretary of the Mendota Tri-County Fair Association. “As dead tired as all of us are, we’re glad and appreciative of how great the turnout was. It was easily the best turnout in five years. We had the largest crowd we’ve ever had for stock car racing on Sunday. That goes back to when we had the Tri-County Speedway open in the 1980s.”
The attendance and interest of the stock car races at the fair, has the fair board saying they will be on the grounds docket more often next summer.
Also seen more on next summer’s schedule will be dirt drag racing to acclimate more fans to the unique format they may not be used to since the side-by-side duals taking place on dirt on a shorter track than normal was viewed by people who have previously seen them and knew what dirt drags were.
With more races in the summer, by next September’s fair, more fans will know what they are and will want to see them.
Funky Monkey Wrestling didn’t have the crowd the board was hoping for, but the wrestling organization did bring in different groups of fans who were highly interested, including residents at the Mendota Horizon House.
“Putting Funky Monkey Wrestling in the Floral Hall that we put them in, gave it the feeling of the old WWWF (World Wide Wrestling Federation) shows you’d see in the 1960s and 1970s,” Ramer said. “The fans watching had fun and Funky Monkey Wrestling was pleased with the crowd.”
One of the biggest questions was going to be how attended the carnival was going to be.
The fair association hadn’t brought a carnival back since 2018 because after a three-year agreement it cost more money than it brought in.
This year, however, all parties involved were happy with the attendance and enjoyment.
“We couldn’t be happier with how the carnival turned out. The people working the carnival were fantastic,” Ramer said. “They have older rides, and some people were a little nervous, but the rides were great and everyone had fun.
“There was a great crowd for the carnival, and they were very pleased. We’re hoping to ink a contract with them in January when they get their new insurance rates – which are going through the roof lately – so we can be fair about prices for the next Tri-County Fair.
“The carnival will be back in 2025 if we get the contract signed in January.”
Grandstands check.
Carnival check.
Vendors, both craft and food, had issues keeping items in stock, so vendors, check.
“Overall, we had a great fair. We had great weather,” Ramer said. “A special thanks to the man in charge of the weather. We were really blessed. The number of volunteers and the number of hours they put in was exceptional. We can’t do the Tri-County Fair without our gracious volunteers.
“We couldn’t do it without the Tri-County Fair Board, the volunteers, and everyone who is involved with putting on this yearly event.”
Members of the Mendota Tri-County Fair Association Executive Board are president Matt Ramer, vice president Brendan Ramer, second vice president Peggy Younglove, treasurer Michele Beaty, and secretary Carol Ramer.
