Jun. 22—GRAND FORKS — A stroll through the Greater Grand Forks Fair brings the sounds of fair rides whirring, the smell of fried foods and the sight of a man balancing a ladder on his face.

Dallas Saupe and his son Nick Stainback, also known as Dallas the Fire Guy and Nicktorius, are new faces at the fair with their show Dangerous Feats of Comedy. Their agent connected them with Grand Forks, and they’ll be in Fargo for the Red River Valley Fair. Some parts of their show include swallowing fire, juggling machetes and escaping from chains and straight jackets.

“It’s been great,” Stainback said. “The crowds really seem to have liked us. It’s been great weather, it’s not been hot. I get in a straight jacket, so I can’t complain with the hot weather.”

Dangerous Feats of Comedy aren’t the only newcomers to the fair this year, which runs from June 19 to June 23. Others include Freckle Farm Mobile Petting Zoo and Pony Rides, Baja Racing, new food vendors, entertainment and more. There are also returning faces, such as Brandis Lafrombrois, who is again serving as the fair manager after an eight-year hiatus. She previously served in the role from 2010 to 2016, and a call from the fair board has brought her back, she said.

Lafrombrois was contacted mid-February by the fair board to take up the mantle. She said she had forgotten the “absolute chaos” that goes into planning the annual fair, but she was excited to get back into it.

“The fair has always held a special place in my heart,” she said.

Her planning brought Dustin Ketron of Freckle Farm and his team to the fair, with a pen full of goats, lambs, ducks and chickens, along with a piglet and calf. As the animals sniffled at people’s hands for treats, he pointed out one goat named “Ballerina.” He said she was dubbed so for her enjoyment of standing on her hind legs, something the other goats were doing to reach the cups of feed people could purchase.

Ketron has also been enjoying entertaining at a new fair, and said the North Dakota crowd has been a welcomed one.

“Everybody up here is friendly,” he said. “It’s a different breed of people up here.”

Lafrombrois said she plans to stick around for the future and is already coming up with ideas for what to do for the future. Some ideas involve things already in place, such as expanding the kids zone, or bringing in new events, like a fall music festival. She said she wants to think of what the community would like to see, as one of her favorite parts of being the fair manager is seeing people enjoying themselves.

“I love seeing the work that goes into the fair and seeing people come out and walk through the food vendors and ride the rides,” she said, especially for kids like her own. “Sometimes it’s hard to slow down and remember how much joy the kids get out of the fair.”

Sunday, the final day of the fair, is Senior Day. Gates open at noon, with a Senior Day lunch starting at the same time under the big top in front of the grandstands. Sherwin Linton will be providing entertainment during the lunch.

More information about the fair and Sunday’s schedule is available at

https://www.grandforksfair.com/

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