With bingo becoming more and more popular each year, the Shawano County Fair will feature a new building for the event at the 2023 fair.
Shawano Speedway and Fairgrounds Marketing and Promotions Manager Brad Luepke said that constructing a new building has been in the works for a while. When at the fairgrounds, the new building will be used in place of the usual tent on the northeast end of the complex.
“Bingo has gotten so big there that we felt that we had to put a nicer, permanent facility up and not just have a tent,” said Luepke. “The means came to us, so we were able to do it and obviously it changes the landscape of this place, but it is going to be pretty beneficial to our fair.”
Luepke went on to say that the idea was conceived during the COVID-19 pandemic, as the fairgrounds received tourism money that it could only use for certain things, one of those being upgrading the grounds.
“Since we had the resources for it, we thought, ‘Let’s do it’,” said Luepke.
When talking about bingo, Luepke noted how popular the game is during the fair, saying that it continues to grow each year. While he did not have an explanation for why bingo is so popular, he said that the bingo tent is packed with players from the time it starts to the time it ends. Luepke also theorized that the new building may entice even more fair visitors to play bingo.
“(Bingo) is just something that sort of caught on,” said Luepke. “(The building) is just going to be more convenient — it is going to be a nicer facility, and it won’t be as dark. It is just going to be a better environment for people to sit in.”
He added that the members on the Agriculture Society Board want to keep improving the fair and are always looking for ways to make the fair better and more enjoyable among visitors. According to Luepke, this new bingo building fits in line with improving the fair.
“This is the first new building that has been put on this property in a long time,” said Luepke. “The goal for the Ag Society Board is to always improve in every aspect of what we do here, and this is going to be a big improvement.”
When the fair opens and bingo starts, Luepke said that he expects there to be an overall positive response from those who are going to participate in bingo.
“I think that the first session is going to be a battle to see if you can get a table in there or not, because I think it will be full,” said Luepke. “The reaction that I have got from the public has been nothing but positive. They are excited for it to be here.”
He said that the building has been in the process of being constructed since last year’s fair, when it was just a concrete slab. Building the structure came later, though, as the walls and ceiling on the building were finished right before the new year hit. From there, the final step that needs to be completed is the addition of doors.
“The process of building it has been a week, but the process of putting it together has probably been a good year,” said Luepke.
“The biggest thing is that we are always trying to get better every year; and whether it is an event or a building, the goal for the ag society is to always improve,” said Luepke. “The support that this community gives this piece of property is like no other fair; it is because of them that we do this.”
lreimer@newmedia-wi.com
Bingo has a new home at Shawano County Fair
