Wine pairing event helps raise money toward Floyd County Fairgrounds rebuilding
By Kelly Terpstra, kterpstra@charlescitypress.com
Spicy mango shrimp and maple bacon squash skewers were just some of the menu items that guests could enjoy as they helped support the Floyd County Fairgrounds rebuilding efforts.
The Wine Pairing for a Cause event was held Friday evening at the Youth Enrichment Center at the fairgrounds.
Floyd County Fair Board Treasurer Craig Anderson said Joe and Lori Nettleton along with Jim and Dene Lundberg volunteered to construct the tasting menu and pair the wines, which came from Okoboji Wines.
“We talked about something different we could maybe do in Charles City to help raise some funds for the tornado recovery effort at the fairgrounds. It just kind of built from there,” Joe Nettleton said. “It was a chance to get 4H and FFA kids involved as well.”
The musical entertainment that jammed out for the audience was the Juni West Band.
The fundraiser is part of an effort to help rebuild the Floyd County Fairgrounds after the Memorial Day tornado swept through the site earlier this year and destroyed several buildings.
Anderson said the process to determine which buildings will be built before the start of the 2020 Floyd County Fair is coming along and design plans are being analyzed. Weather has delayed some of the meetings as some farmers who are on the fair board are still in the field because of the late harvest season. Anderson said he expects the board to meet sometime later this month.
“I don’t know if we’re going to be able to see the design and make a decision all in one night,” said Anderson. “It just kind of depends if we can all come to a consensus or not.”
Amy Staudt, Floyd County Fair Board president, said ground could be broken as soon as late winter or early spring to construct two new buildings on the property just west of Charles City.
One of the buildings will likely be an addition to the north side of the beef and swine barn that used to house poultry, rabbits and dairy.
“They were two separate buildings. We’re combining it to one to keep all our livestock together for an even flow,” said Staudt.
The other building would be a structure similar to the one that housed the “Little Hands on the Farm” exhibit that will also have bathrooms and showers near it so fair goers would be able to utilize those facilities.
Staudt said the board will decide after completion of those buildings how much funding is left. The plan is to replace the brick building and the 4-H food stand structure later on. She mentioned that the 4-H building could become a combo venue that could also host entertainment events.
Staudt didn’t think those buildings would be able to be finished by this year’s fair.
Anderson said, “Then the next tier is do we get a fully functional replacement for the brick building and the 4-H food stand this coming year? Those are probably the next steps.”
The Floyd County Fair Society received a welcome surprise last month after it was awarded a $25,000 check from MidAmerican Energy after being selected in a random drawing as part of the electrical company’s corporate citizenship program.
“The MidAmerican grant money was obviously pennies from heaven there,” said Anderson.
Anderson said he was very happy that the community came out to the Youth Enrichment Center to join the cause to get the Floyd County Fairgrounds rebuilt and better than ever.
“I feel really lucky the kind of support we get out here. It’s gotten to the point where people just like this almost step forward as much as us going and asking. It makes us feel like we’re doing something right out here that people want to stand behind it and make this thing go,” said Anderson.
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