Fair honors volunteers with awards

Financial and attendance numbers often rise to the surface as the most talked-about figures surrounding the Steele County Free Fair.
However, nothing was mentioned about either of those areas, but rather the focus shined on the years of service for the fair’s volunteers Sunday night during an appreciation dinner in the Beer Garden. Forty-five people who have donated a cumulative total of 724 years of service were recognized with service awards.
Dan Deml, who currently serves as the fair’s president, and Cathy Torrey, a superintendent for textile fabrics, were given the top service awards of 40 years. Awards for 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 years of service were also presented to volunteers for 2020 and 2021. There was no awards ceremony last year because of COVID-19.
Fair secretary Sharon Klein also received a special award for her 19 years of service to the fair. She will be retiring Sept. 1.
“We wouldn’t have a fair if it weren’t for the volunteers,” said Deml, adding there are more than 300 active volunteers with the fair.
 “Volunteers are as much responsible for the fair as the directors are.”
Asked what keeps people coming back to volunteer, Deml said: “I don’t have a magic wand, but people want to be a part of something successful and fun.”
Deml’s involvement with the fair goes back way before he even became an official volunteer. As a child, Deml showed cattle in 4-H. He later went on to host the District Holstein Show when he worked with fair officials to coordinate the event on the fairgrounds. Because of that relationship, he was eventually appointed to the fair board and served in various roles before becoming president.
Deml credits three things for the success of what has become known as Minnesota’s largest county fair. They are a free gate, mega rides and food vendors.
“We do a lot of things very well,” he said.
He is pleased that the fair can continue its tradition of offering a free fair. “We don’t take money out of people’s pockets to come in the gate,” Deml said. “The free fair is what makes people want to come to it,” he added.