“You know those small feet on the bottom of a ladder?’ Yep, I answer “Well I started below those, at the very, very bottom. I tell people I was the dirt underneath them feet” says new North Dakota State Fair Manager Craig Rudland.

2023 would mark the 42nd fair for Craig Rudland. Craig was still in grade school and would work mostly summers. As he got older, there were more hours on the fairgrounds. “As soon as I graduated, I went to work full time, and time just flies by and now we’re right here” Craig reminisces.

The obvious question about being from Minot is quickly answered with a smile and a nod “Yep, born and raised in Minot.”
42 years can certainly make a big difference in an event like the NDSF, and in the fairgrounds themselves. “I can remember when the streets weren’t paved. Everything out here was just gravel; and when you would get a little bit of rain during the fair it was a muddy mess. And when you didn’t get some rain it was a dusty mess. So yah, there certainly have been a lot of changes in that time frame.”

There were many older barns and buildings on the fairgrounds, but the construction of what is now the State Fair Center started in 1972 with the All Seasons Arena. “They built Arena 1, then the built FFA, then they built crops and gardens which isn’t there anymore, and then Arena 2 was added; it’s just been added to and remodeled over the years.”
Early days for Craig were tasks assigned like sweeping floors and doing whatever needed to be done “so not a lot of change, I still do what I am told” Craig says with a grin.

As it is today, the early days of the NDSF revolved around the farming and livestock exhibits. “I love the fact that we have held onto our roots. Still today, we put it all together and it all seems to work” says Rudland.

Over the years the fairgrounds have gone through a modernization and clean-up. As Craig remembers “the burying of all the power lines was just kind of the start of cleaning things up. We got the paving done.” And then from there Craig talks with pride about the new grandstand. “It’s amazing…the acts that come into North Dakota, they give us compliments on our fairgrounds. The big acts, you know they have traveled all around the country, and they all talk about the fact that this is an amazing place. We are proud when we hear that.”

Beyond the fairgrounds themselves “we have a staff second to none. They (the staff) are very meticulous about the way they maintain our buildings and our structures. It’s really pretty humbling when you arrive in the morning and get a chance to look at our beautiful grounds.”

There are 26, full time, year round staff at the North Dakota State Fair. During the fair the number increases to around 500 staff to set up, operate and help where needed during the fair.

Volunteers will always be what makes the big events like the North Dakota State Fair and Norsk Hostfest successful. “We work very close with the booster groups to get volunteers” says Rudland “and I always like to take a few minutes and talk with some of them every day. They are great people, and they are fun to have conversations with. Looking around we have groups from Minot Air Force Base, we have groups from MSU, Our Redeemer’s school; bottom line is we couldn’t do it without them.”

Looking to the future, as it pertains to the Minot Air Force Base, Craig would like to explore new ways of getting more of the active military and their families to the fair. “We’d like to eliminate coupons, and that extra step when they arrive at the gates” shares Rudland “I’d love to make it easier for all of them (active military and their friends). I would love to expand on the military day and give them an even better experience at the ND State Fair”

For Craig Rudland, there are 42 fairs behind him, but he’s already planning for the 2024 North Dakota State Fair. “It’s a great job (Manager of the ND State Fair). And with his experience, Craig Rudland can pretty much handle the challenge ahead.