By RICK A. RICHARDS
Indiana Correspondent

La PORTE, Ind. —The La Porte County Fair bills itself as the oldest in Indiana. Fair Manager Gene Shurte was quick to point out this year will be the 165th county fair; and as far as he is concerned, it’s never been better.

Shurte has been around the La Porte County Fair nearly all his 79 years. He exhibited steers there in the 1940s, has been a member of the Fair Board, and for the past three years, has overseen the entire operation as manager.

Since the fairgrounds moved to its current 125-acre site in 1961, Shurte said not a lot of infrastructure improvements have been made. But during the last four years, new construction has taken off. In the next 10 years, he said, the fairgrounds will be transformed.

Four years ago, a new Small Projects Building was erected just across the main boulevard from Shurte’s fair office. The 10,500-square-foot building was a huge upgrade from a small pole barn that had been used by 4-Hers.

And two years ago, the first livestock barn in decades went up. Shurte said the 14,000-squre-foot swine barn is a huge improvement over what had been there previously,
The $250,000 barn (helped with a $50,000 donation from the Kankakee Valley REMC) is a modern concrete and steel structure that was put up on the site of the old wooden swine barn. But when the new building went up, ground was raised several feet to keep the low-lying area from flooding. “It was a real mess at times,” said Shurte. “We have plans to do the same thing with the sheep and cattle barns and the judging arena.”

Those projects are a couple of years away, but Shurte said the plan is in place to make it happen.

As the 79-year-old Shurte drove around the fairgrounds in a golf cart, he showed off other improvements. Pioneerland, a small community of buildings built to represent different skills and activities from a century ago, has expanded with a Quilt House and an Artesian House, said Shurte. The buildings are popular with fair visitors who want to learn about blacksmithing, leather working and other skills.

As he continued his tour, Shurte pointed to improved water and sewage hookups throughout the fairgrounds and a parking area that has been improved and expanded by 40 percent.

“The fairgrounds were built here in 1961 and most of these buildings are going on 50 years old. We need to replace them, but it’s a costly venture in this day and age,” said Shurte.

To do that, Shurte and the La Porte County Fair Board have created a 20-year plan designed to increase cash flow. “We have to have some other events here. We have a great facility and it needs to be in use more than one week a year.”

An antique show and demolition derby will be held at the grounds, along with rodeos, an RPM Fest, the Red Power Roundup (a nationwide gathering of International Harvester restorers) will be held in June and National Tractor Pull Association event is scheduled.

In 2012, Shurte said the Pyrotechnic Guild International will hold a weeklong convention where members will build fireworks at the fairgrounds and hold fireworks shows on five nights.

“It’s a big happening,” said Shurte. “I was out in Mason City, Iowa, last year to see it and it’s huge. You can’t describe it until you see it.”

“We have a great facility and we’re upgrading it to handle larger crowds,” said Shurte. He added that last year’s county fair drew 80,000 people over six days and he hopes to draw even more this year.

Along with the usual midway rides and 4-H exhibits, Shurte said the fair will host country music star Billy Currington on Thursday, July 22, retro rockers The Buckinghams and Jay and the Americans on Friday, July 23, and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling on Saturday, July 24.

Proceeds from those events – as well as the other events held throughout the year – are set aside to bring in other events and to help upgrade facilities.

“I think being the oldest county fair is a feather in our hat, but what is giving us more notoriety is the fact we are now reaching out and bringing in more major events throughout the year,” said Shurte.
But even with all of that work promoting new events, Shurte said he makes sure not to lose sight of the fair’s priority – 4-H.

“I think the number one thing is the kids. We have to upgrade the buildings for the 4-H kids. We have 1,800 4-H members working on 280 some different projects. It’s the fair board’s responsibility to provide them with ample, healthy, and safe facilities to display their wares to the community,” said Shurte.

As the fair opening creeps closer, Shurte said it brings back memories of when he showed steers.

“I remember it very vividly. It was awesome,” said Shurte. Back then, Shurte lived on a farm near Wanatah – the same farmstead he lives in now – and just like then, he said he gets goose bumps on opening day.

“I remember when we were showing steers one day and in pulls this big black Studebaker and out steps a gentleman in a black suite with a white Stetson hat on. It was Gov. (Henry) Shricker from Knox and he shook our hands. For us kids back then, that was a big deal. I remember it like it was yesterday.”

It’s memories like that Shurte hopes to create for 4-Hers today.