Lynn Borke, longtime member of the Alpena County Fair Board, explained how a sudden idea turned into a successful last-minute event.

“One board member said it was too bad it wasn’t Bump-n-Run night because the track was perfect for it,” Borke said. “At that moment, three lightbulbs went off and we decided to call our Bump-n-Run contractor, Barry, and make it happen.”

The fair board’s quick action and coordination with Family Fun Tyme, the company that manages the rides, ensured the day was not lost.

“The great thing is that we did it with Barry from Bump-n-Run, the carnival board and Dalton, our carnival manager,” said Borke. “Without the cooperation of all three, this would not have been possible.”

News photo by Temi Fadayomi. Cars participate in the Bump-n-Run event at the Alpena County Fair on Sunday. The fair board acted quickly Sunday morning to put the event together at the last minute after many events were canceled Saturday due to rain.

Dalton Kennedy, operations manager of Family Fun Tyme, reported on the logistical challenges they face in setting up and running the carnival.

“We move to a different city every week, up and down, up and down,” Kennedy said. “It’s a logistical nightmare, with 30 to 50 loads on semi-trailers and pickup trucks. But we make it work, driving from city to city, setting up the rides, inspecting them and running them before tearing everything down and starting over.”

When asked what impact the rain had on the rides, Kennedy explained that depending on manufacturer guidelines and state regulations, some rides can operate in the rain and others cannot.

“We don’t want our employees to be left out in the rain, but we will do it if we have to,” Kennedy said. “The best we can do is hope it doesn’t rain and adapt if it doesn’t.”

Although one of the biggest days of the fair, Saturday, had to be cancelled due to rain, the fair management and Family Fun Tyme worked together to make the best of the situation.

News photo by Temi Fadayomi. Cars participate in the Bump-n-Run event at the Alpena County Fair on Sunday. The fair board acted quickly Sunday morning to put the event together at the last minute after many events were canceled Saturday due to rain.

“We lost Saturday, a big day, so we had to figure out how to move forward,” Kennedy said. “Unfortunately, the tractor pull was canceled, but with the help of the fair board, we organized a bump-n-run, and it seems like it was worth the effort to put it on.”

Kennedy stressed that such situations cannot be planned for, especially when employees are under pressure to move on to the next location.

“We have to be open in Gaylord by 4 p.m. Tuesday,” Kennedy said. “It’s going to be a lot of work to get that done, but there’s nothing in the world I wouldn’t do for this fair board. We know how lucky we are to be able to work with them.”

Considering the quick decision to take a new direction and create something from nothing, Kennedy expressed optimism about the outcome.

“We made something out of nothing in about an hour (Sunday) morning,” Kennedy said. “Every day we open the ticket box, it’s a gamble. But if you believe in the people and the city, why not take a chance and try it?”

As the fair drew to a close, it was clear that the effort to adapt and keep the spirit alive had paid off. Despite the challenges, the Alpena County Fair ended on a high note thanks to the dedication and quick response of everyone involved.

Reach Temi Fadayomi at 989-358-5693 or [email protected].