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The Anoka County Fairgrounds ushered in summer with their new for 2023 event, the Springtime & Sunshine Festival. The event ran from May 11 to 14 and featured local vendors, craft makers, fair food and food trucks and live music at the Anoka County Fairgrounds.
“We love and maintain this fairgrounds year round, and we like it when the fairgrounds is an active place for families and the community to get together and have a memorable time,” Anoka County Fair Board Director Nick Mayer said
Fair Manager Michaela Liebl shared that the idea for the Springtime & Sunshine Festival came to the board when a few food vendors at the Fairgrounds — who also operate booths at the Minnesota State Fair — approached the board with interest in doing a spring event. The event would not only open up the Anoka County Fairgrounds, but give vendors a chance to get their electrical and health inspections done early on in the 2023 fair season.
“The Springtime and Sunshine Festival was a great early season event,” Nick Taulelle, of Taulelle Concessions said. “We were able to train our new crew members on how to handle a busy event as well as make sure all of the equipment is working perfectly. We had a nice crowd out there each of the days, so we really got to hit the ground running this spring, which is definitely not typical.”
Liebl also said the event helped to satisfy a “longing to get outside and enjoy summer” after a winter whose weather extended into mid-April. It also serves as a chance for the Anoka County Fair, a non-profit organization, to raise funds to improve fairgrounds, attractions and services. The increased revenue has already helped the board to book nationally recognized acts for this July’s grandstand music.
“We try our best to keep the revenue coming in to produce new and exciting entertainment for the community,” Liebl said. “For example, for the first time in over 45 years, the Anoka County Fair will have National Country Artist Tyler Farr in the Mauer Auto Group Grandstand July 27.”
It’s still too early to say if the Springtime & Sunshine Festival will add “annual” to its name, but from the responses Liebl has received, she’s confident citizens will see it return.
“(Returning events are) a board decision, so this will have to be voted on at the next meeting,” Liebl said. “The community support for this event was amazing. We have a good feeling that this event will be back!”
SOURCE: Hometown Source
