The 56th Annual Hillbilly Fair date is approaching and city planners are still making preparations to return to the original hillbilly theme after a year that departed from the theme and lost many sponsors.
The original Hillbilly Fair was designed 56 years ago by the merchants of Laurie for promotional advantages, and after last year, when the city made the move to give a fresh face to the event, and use a different theme, some of those merchants, still in business, did not take kindly to the change.
Brande Studer, Laurie City Clerk gave a report on Tuesday, Sept. 9, at the Laurie Board of Aldermen meeting of the state of fair organization, in the absence of Parks and Events Director Nathaniel Jones, that there were no business sponsors for the fair as planning moved forward. Studer had mailed out requests to area businesses with no response. Food trucks and vendors have been confirmed, as well as band contracts signed. Jones had lifted the non-food vendor fee to bring in more vendors. One organization that did offer labor help was Kent Memorial Lutheran Church in Sunrise Beach. On their work initiative, “God’s Work, Our Hands,” volunteers cleared trees and brush at the Laurie Hillbilly Fairgrounds in August.
What is planned for the 27-acre park in Laurie on Friday, Sept. 26, and Saturday, Sept. 27, are food trucks, live music performances, bounce houses, a foam and bubble zone, craft and merchandise vendors, an adult and children’s king and queen contest, and a parade on Saturday. A HIllbilly Hotrods Car Show will wrap everything up on Sunday with food trucks staying open for that event.
The annual revenue goal for the Hillbilly Fair, according to the City of Laurie financial reports, is $50,000. The budgeted expenditures are $29,000 and only 18% of that has been expended to date, leaving $23,772.04.
The Laurie Police Department reported 382 calls for August, with 37 reports, 79 stops, 46 citations, 40 warnings, 8 lock outs, 5 male arrests, 1 female arrest, and 6 assists.
The majority of those were for traffic related or impaired driving stops. An ordinance issue recommendation was made by City Attorney Andrew Renken related to placement of new stop signs and their locations for Laurie’s Police Chief Mike Nienhuis.
Alderman Pam Folker, acting as Mayor Pro-tem for the meeting in the absence of Mayor Hugh Smith, gave a report on the city’s new partnership with Forest ReLeaf with new trees provided to replace those removed for the new pickleball court project at the city park. The concrete walls and floor were constructed as of August with landscaping and final flooring to be done next. For the Freedom Rock project, she reported that the Veteran Wall sign is standing and veteran plaques should be installed by Veteran’s Day 2025. The flagpole installation at the site is still waiting for an auger to be put in place as a requirement of the Freedom Rock Project.
The city reported that VIP Cinema had become compliant by providing a no tax due statement to city hall and allowed it to continue operations.
Studer reported that the Use Tax for August was $6,424.60, regular sales tax was at $70,274.35, Transportation Tax was $34,746.32, and Capital Improvements Tax was $35,137.26.
The board voted to go into a closed session and adjourned the regular meeting.
The next meeting of the Laurie Board of Aldermen will be Tuesday, Oct. 14, at 6 p.m. at Laurie City Hall.
