CSF General Manager Ron Jeffries says, "We've had a lot of good comments throughout the week about the many nice amenities and things we had going on during the Central States Fair and so from the board of directors to the staff and volunteers, we're very pleased."

Jeffries says for the most part, vendors found the fair to be a success. Helping move things along though was the weather.

Jeffries says, "It was good weather. We had a little bit of threatening storms on Friday night that slowed things down and we got a little warm in the middle there, but otherwise it's been great weather. It sure beats having 100-degree days every day."

And when it comes to fair events organizers want to keep around for next year, they say nothing pulls a crowd better than four-legged attractions.

Jeffries says, "We learned a lot of different things. Trying out the elephants was a great attraction. We're talking with them now to see if we can't get them back for one more year and animal events really do bring people in. Daryl's Racing Pigs, the pig wrestling, the mutton busting, all those things tend to bring people in to both watch and to participate."

Jeffries says the carnival should be packed up and back on the road by Tuesday, but the fairgrounds won't stay quiet for long. Staff will be busy prepping the grounds for both the South Dakota Reigning Cow Horse Championship and the Black Hills Celtic Games taking place this upcoming weekend.

Brendyn Medina