The 2011 North Dakota State Fair was going to be one for the record books. We had booked the best entertainment, had the best exhibits and the best vendors. Unfortunately, due to the devastating flooding of the Mouse River in Minot, the 2011 North Dakota State Fair will go into the record books as the first North Dakota State Fair to have ever been cancelled.
We wanted to let you know that this was not an easy decision to make or one that was made lightly. We wanted to share with you our timeline from the past weeks.
- June 21: Construction began on emergency 12 ft tall ring dikes around the State Fair Center and the Grandstand.
- June 23: Flood waters entered the Fairgrounds as the dikes were being finished.
- June 26: The river crested with a depth of 8 to 10 feet throughout the Fairgrounds.
- June 28: Water began to recede and after monitoring the National Weather Service hydrograph we created a timeline for cleaning up the grounds to host the Fair. Water was predicted to be down enough to start removal of dikes on July 11. Due to the damage to the barns and infrastructure there would be no competitive exhibits.
- July 8: Heavy rainfall in the Souris River Valley created a new hydrograph showing water on the grounds until July 14.
- July 9: The State Fair Board held an emergency board meeting and unanimously voted to cancel the 2011 North Dakota State Fair.
Due to the superhuman job of our staff, the State Fair Center and the Grandstand were the only two buildings on our grounds not damaged during the flood. We were not able to save or protect the other 18 buildings on our grounds and we are currently in the process of assessing the massive flood damage. We already know that each building will need the electrical to be re-wired and will require extensive cleaning and repairs.
We ask that you consider making a donation to the North Dakota State Fair Foundation to aid in our flood recovery process. You can mail a donation to the North Dakota State Fair, P.O. Box 1796, Minot, ND 58701. You can also donate online by credit card at The North Dakota State Fair Foundation website.
We thank you for your consideration and will look forward to seeing you at the 2012 North Dakota State Fair in Minot, July 20-28!
