Plans are in place to add “greatly expanded parking” at Bolado Park along with the demolition of buildings to make room, according to the fair CEO.
The 33rd Agricultural District overseeing the Bolado Park fairgrounds is expecting to add separate lots consisting of around 100 parking spaces each and about another 25 spots near the pavilion, according to fair CEO Donnette Silva Carter.
She explained to the Free Lance that the fair plans to add about 25 parking spaces near the pavilion by removing an open building existing now along with the Fine Arts Building. That would double the amount of available parking currently in that area, she said.
She said the fair then expects to remove two barns on the west side of the property for a parking lot there, with room for potentially 100 spaces. Then fairgrounds officials expect to clear out property behind the arena for additional parking there as well.
As for funding, she said it is yet another partnership program with the Heritage Foundation, which has poured hundreds of thousands of dollars in recent upgrades on the grounds.
With the plans for additional parking, she said a lack of available space for vehicles is fair-goers’ number one complaint.
“There’s not enough parking and we have to use some off-site parking, too,” she said.
Bolado Park officials expect to make the changes before this year’s fair Oct. 1-4, she said.
Look back for more.
