Thank You, Great Jones County Fair

The population of Monticello, Iowa stands at just over 3,800 people. For those of you who went to The Great Jones County Fair, you know there were that many people in line for a beer! Each year residents of Eastern Iowa and surrounding areas are spoiled. We come to Monticello for amazing concerts, we're entertained and amazed and I think many of us take it for granted. Don't.

I can't tell you how many people were on the fairgrounds for this year's shows. The Chris Stapleton concert on Saturday was as packed as I can remember it being. There were no open spots on the track. The hillsides were packed. Think about how crazy that is. A town of under 4,000 people hosting an event that draws tens of thousands of people! Every time I look out at the crowd it just amazes me. What also amazes me is the level that some people complain. Complain about ticket prices. About the acts that are booked. And again I urge you not to take what we have for granted!

What other county fair gets this level of national talent? We had Tim McGraw, Hootie and the Blowfish, and Chris Stapleton in our own backyard in ONE weekend! That's no easy task! It takes a great fair board and general manager to book talent like that. And they do it year after year. I understand you're not going to love every act, but come on! These are huge national acts playing less than ten miles from the farm I grew up on! Where else does that happen?

Every year I attend the fair, I marvel at its organization. This year was no different. But I really want to recognize the security. Whether they were county sheriffs, state patrol, or employees of the fair, they kept us all safe. They removed people accordingly, and they helped escort us wherever we needed to go to get our jobs done while we were there. Thank you.

So let's get pumped for 2020! Let's stop complaining about who they didn't book. Let's sit back and realize how lucky we are to have The Great Jones County Fair!