The main goal for 1975 of the Southeast Alaska State Fair is to totally involve each community in Southeast Alaska. The Fair wants to derive almost all of its entertainment from Southeast and hopes to have a performing group from each of the communities represented.
They are contacting a number of cultural groups such as the Sitka New Archangel Dancers, the Petersburg Norwegian Dancers, the Juneau St. Paul Singers, the Haines Chilkat Dancers, and other native dancers.
Possibly the most colorful event of the Fair will be the Grand Southeast Parade with a theme of “Southeast Alaska; yesterday and today.”
The Fair is strongly encouraging all Southeast communities to represent themselves with a float and compete for large cash prizes. These prizes will be given in the following categories: commercial floats, organizational floats, community floats, individual, horse division, kids division, marching units, and one overall grand prize. The Haines Volunteer Fire Department is handling the parade, so any questions or entries should be directed to this department in Haines.
Special events that will highlight this year’s fair include motorcycle races, horse show, style show, a horseshoe-pitching contest, a dog show, antique cars, salad parade, carnival of casseroles, 4-H show, and kids events. There will also be a Cultural Arts and Crafts Exchange, where individuals and groups can demonstrate their skills, display their works, and offer their products for sale.
This year’s exhibits are in categories too numerous to mention, but a complete list will be in the Southeast State Fair Catalog which will be out by April 1. These catalogs may be obtained by writing to Southeast Alaska State Fair, Box 385, Haines, AK, 99827. Those who are already familiar with the fair will be glad to hear that last year’s dust problem in the display buildings will be controlled by damp wood chips on the floor.
Also, entry blanks will be eliminated this year with a new tag system taking its place.
The Southeast Fair recently sponsored a contest for the design of an insignia or seal representing Southeast Alaska and the fair. Entries from all over Southeast Alaska were solicited prior to the judging on Feb. 17. The winning design was done by Peter Goll of Haines. Another outstanding entry that was selected for the fair catalog cover was done by Gil Smith, also of Haines. Other artists who varied in age from 10 and up and entered their ideas, include Linda Shultz, Lawrence Day, Rod Hollenbach, Sherri Huguenin, Darbi and Bruce Abel, and Scott Williams, all of Juneau; David Moore of Skagway; Maria Wilhelm, Rhonda Stuart, and Carol Leonard, all of Haines.
Southeast Alaska is unique geographically and culturally, and involvement in the fair is an ideal way to exchange ideas, talents and skills. The unique geography creates a unique transportation problem as well.
Each of the many Southeastern communities is semi-isolated from the others. Commuting between communities or bringing them together for an event in one location is no simple problem.
The Alaska Marine Highway System provides perhaps the most practical and economical means of transportation to and from the fair.
Of course it is advisable to make reservations well in advance. The fair is happy to announce that Lynden Transport has donated the use of a van and a crew to move it, to be taken via the ferry to each normally serviced community. At each stop it will collect exhibits prior to the fair, and return them afterward. This project will be coordinated through the fair representatives in each community.