HOT PURSUIT
What else would you expect when it comes to Minnesota’s best county fair?
That’s the question I have posed to Dan Deml, who is the long-time president of the Steele County Free Fair.
To put it simply, Minnesota’s best weekly newspaper (for two years in a row) loves to cover Minnesota’s best county fair.
A little context may be in order.
Deml has often told me how lucky the fair is to have the coverage it gets from the Steele County Times in comparison to other fairs around the state with their local newspapers. When Deml gathers with other fair directors, heads turn in complete surprise when he tells them what goes on with their local newspaper covering the fair.
Directors from other fairs are stunned at the coverage Steele receives not only during the fair but throughout the off-season as well. Over the past 16 years, the Steele fair has become one of our primary beats, which means we are always hyper-focused on covering what’s happening before, during and after the fair.
When I took over this newspaper in 2009, it didn’t take me long to figure out that there is something magical about the Steele fair. Then-manager Elmer Reseland was my first encounter and hooked me with the local fair. Through Elmer, I quickly found out how this fair has been wrapped into the social fabric of the county for decades. He had that special twinkle in his eye for fairs that became contagious.
I know how many other counties think they have great fairs. But let’s face it most of them don’t come anywhere close to what Steele puts on. Current manager Scott Kozelka is now carrying the torch and has done a stunning job in taking this fair to even greater heights.
For the record, let’s review what we offered readers this year alone. We provided seven weeks of pre-fair coverage with stories, columns and photos. One week before the fair we put out a 52-page special section filled with no less than 18 staff-written stories. We then highlighted the fair with special coverage over two weeks after the fair. The first week was 14-page B section followed by another six pages last week.
During the off-season, we regularly cover the fair board meetings to gain helpful insight into the operations of the fair. We also do other stories as they arise.
Deml finds himself facing a little inter-fair jealousy from other fairs. But as we agree it’s completely justified because there is nothing better in Minnesota than the Steele County Free Fair. Call it civic pride, a timeless tradition or whatever you want. Steele is a sensational act that warrants the coverage it gets.
Many fairs have shared with Deml how lucky they are to even get a newspaper reporter to step foot onto their fair to do a single story or two let alone cover them during the off-season.
We are proud of what we do to cover Minnesota’s best county fair. It’s important to showcase the fair which serves as a vital hub for economic growth, youth development, agricultural education and cultural preservation.
The best fair with the best press is a match made in Steele County—and it deserves the riveting coverage we are always in hot pursuit of providing to our readers.