By Linda Kor This year marks the 90th year that the Navajo County Fair has been held in Holbrook and this year the grounds look better than ever. The fair was first held in Holbrook in 1931 but began in Taylor in 1926. The move came after the Navajo County Board of Supervisors decided to move the fair to Holbrook as it’s the county seat and is a central location in the county. The fairgrounds and other facilities were built as a permanent location for the county fair and other events were added through the years. But this past year marks some significant improvements to the overall appearance of the grounds. Fairgrounds Manager and Event Director Michelle Stock has a vision for improving the grounds and working with employees, volunteers and the fair board, that vision is being fulfilled. Changes include a fresh coat of paint on the fair offices, ticket booths and other spaces by volunteers and local painter Jimmy Barela. There is fencing that was painted by the Self family and the LDS Church’s Young Women’s group with the Mountain Ranch Ward, with a new mural added by artist Peterson Yazzie. Navajo County handled the re-roofing of the old 4-H building and the old corrugated tin roof was upcycled and used to line the walls of Martinez Hall and the VIP lounge, adding a rustic appeal. “Thanks to Adrian Padilla with Early Bird Roofing and Abe Martinez we now have closed in all the punched in (drywall) insulation,” said Stock, referring to the damage caused by the use of the walls to hang displays over the years. She also noted that the old racetrack stalls were upcycled to be used in the newly renovated VIP lounge. The lounge also includes furnishings that are part of Holbrook’s past courtesy of resident and fair volunteer Ginny Arthur. The furnishings include five pieces from the former Arizona Rancho located south of the railroad tracks that was a popular resting place for weary train travelers. It was built around 1881 and served various uses up until the 1990s. “We went to the Dusty River Antique Store and the full set was there and he gave us a smoking deal so Ginny bought it and put it in this room.” The room also includes a poker table and an extremely tall wooden statue of an Indian that has been hidden in storage on the grounds for many years. The other furnishings include handmade doors and re-used barrels made into lighting fixtures all created by Snowflake resident Mike Greaves. Also renovated was the dressing or “green” room for the entertainers performing on the Midway that has the look and feel of a film set dressing room. All of these upgrades add to the appeal of the fairgrounds and the experience for those who will be attending the Navajo County Fair this week and for years to come. Fair board members include President Mike Sample, Vice President Rusty DeSpain, Secretary Marshall Losey, Treasurer Anna Amos, Wes DeSpain, Jack Babb, Tim Kelley, Hoby Wilhelm, Patrick Kennedy, Vanessa Drevnick, Trenna Hunt, JR DeSpain, Steve Thomas, Anna Dewitt, Valerie Slade, Leah Thomas, Redgie Justman and Paul Van Zelf.
