HAMILTON — The Ravalli County Commission met on Wednesday, June 5 to discuss possible alcohol policy changes at the Ravalli County Fairgrounds.
As the Bitterroot is expanding, commissioners and fairgrounds staff are looking to strike a balance between hosting larger revenue-generating events with alcohol — such as concerts or rodeos — while also maintaining a family-friendly atmosphere.
“So right now, the county ordinance allows us to have alcohol in our event center," Ravalli County Fairgrounds Manager Melissa Saville explained.
Alcohol is currently prohibited anywhere beyond the event center building. This limits the types of events that can take place at the fairgrounds.
“We would love to have a music concert series come, we would love to have a higher quality rodeo,” explained Ravalli County Fairgrounds Administrative Assistant BethAnne Daniel.
Saville added that the number of requests for those types of functions is increasing.
“We have events right now that are looking for venues that we would like to host and having the availability of alcohol would really make us more appealing,” she said.
That is why commissioners are considering amending the current alcohol ordinance.
The changes would allow alcohol use and sales anywhere on the fairgrounds if the vendor has proper licensing, there is food readily available, and there is adequate liability insurance.
“We really want to keep that family atmosphere and that hometown feel, but also be able to provide some of the offerings that bigger cities and bigger places have right now,” Daniel stated.
However, this wouldn’t change the no alcohol policy during the Ravalli County Fair. Plus, the dry period for the premises extends 14 days before and after the fair.
“We love our community and we love our kids and we want our Ravalli County Fair to be the safest place for your family to come,” Daniel expressed.
The next meeting on this topic will take place on June 25, 2024, at 11 a.m. where the public can comment. The commissioners will then vote on whether or not to adopt these changes.
If approved, the new ordinance would take effect on July 25, 2024.
