One of the largest grants that Grow Greene County Gaming Corporation gave out at their April 1st ceremony is to an organization that is starting a multi-phase project.

The Greene County Fair Association received a $125,000 GGCGC grant per year for the next four years to help improve the overall look of the Greene County Fairgrounds. Fair Board Vice President Katlynn Mechaelsen says this year, they are looking to build a new horse barn and install a new restroom and shower house facility. She points out that after talking with the Iowa Associated Saddle Club that rents the horse arena five weekends in the summer, along with local horse exhibitors, their main concern was the stalls were too small for the larger sized horses, and there are not enough of them. 

Mechaelsen says the plan is to build one new horse barn to the west of the arena and install a new restroom and shower house building where the demolished horse barn will be. She explains the reason why the Fair Board decided on that location for the new restroom facility.

“It’ll be the first restroom, and the only restroom located on the south portion of the fairgrounds. It’ll be easily accessible to everybody who is attending shows, as well as really the exhibitors, you know that’s what we’re really doing it for. So, it’ll be centrally located on that portion of the south side of the fairgrounds.”  

Mechaelsen is thankful to Grow Greene County for their pledge grant to continue their successful improvements to the fairgrounds.

“Getting Grow Greene County’s backing and support, it kind of solidified our needs, and our wants, and our dreams (as a Fair Board). That it’s not just something that we see as a necessity, but a big organization like Grow Greene County, who is represented from all (of) Greene County, you know they have people on their board that’s from all over Greene County. So, for them to see also the needs and the wants of that was a huge success.”

Mechaelsen notes the anticipated timeline for completion of these two projects by the 2026 Greene County Fair. She adds the other phases for the fairgrounds includes a new educational center to replace the administration building, replacing the other restrooms and covering the horse arena. She notes that the Fair Board will also apply for other grants to do additional expansions of the sheep and goat barn and updating the poultry and rabbit barn.