KINGMAN – April is shaping up to be a big month for the Mohave County Fairgrounds. Fairgrounds General Manager Tim Woods expressed his excitement, saying, “We have all kinds of good things coming up!” Most of his excitement lay in the improvements made to the fairgrounds in the last 12 months. Woods says he wanted to make improvements to the fairgrounds so that residents could be proud to come to events there.
Significant improvements have been made to the rodeo grounds, particularly making it safer for rodeo contestants and animals alike. Woods said that when he took over, the fairgrounds was in a dilapidated state, and the first order of business was to start making improvements. “When we dug up the rodeo ring, we were finding auto parts, which could definitely injure someone in the ring,” he said. Woods also explained that they purchased a machine to surface the arena grounds that cost approximately $30,000. Once the rodeo arena was upgraded, the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) said that it was the most improved rodeo arena in the state.
Further improvements to the fairgrounds, including the primary entryway. With Woods again stating that he had hoped the improvement to the entrance would fill residents with pride. “First impressions are everything for people who have never been here,” Woods explained. “We built it. I did all the welding on it, and my crew built it during COVID. I knew my guys needed to work and we got it all taken care of. We used a stipend the county gives us for maintenance, and I used that to buy materials, and we provided the labor and built it.” He said that he knows many in the county would love to move the Mohave County Fairgrounds to Lake Havasu City but that Kingman is an excellent location and close to the interstate. He said, “When I came and took over, the main office building was an old 1968 trailer house, and it just looked terrible.” He explained that entering the fairgrounds and seeing the old office was an eyesore. Woods said he felt that the improvements made would aid in bringing people back to the fairgrounds after a year of COVID-19 lock-downs. “We had to lay off most of the fairgrounds staff last year, and now there are high hopes to get the team back”.
This year has several events planned for April including a circus last weekend, and a Home & Garden show next weekend.
The Home & Garden Show will have more than 50 vendors, six food vendors, a carnival, livestock shows by Southwest Arizona International Livestock Association, a a new manufactured home for sale, Bobcat equipment on display for sale, and tractors and farm equipment for sale. “You will be able to come here to buy yourself a house, go inside the building to furnish the house, and get a spa, insurance, and a HVAC system. Then Bob Mertens of Mertens Heavy Equipment will sell you a Bobcat to surface your property,” said Woods.
Woods says he is proud to manage the Mohave County Fairgrounds. His hard work shows his pride in the fairgrounds. If you would like to find out more about events or vendor requirements take a look at mcfafairgrounds.org, give the fairgrounds office a call at 928-753-2636, or email info@mcfafairgrounds.org.
Chad Walker
