PORT TOWNSEND — Jefferson County Fairgrounds’ executive director, Karly Mishko, is on a mission to push the fairgrounds closer to its full potential.
“What feels most significant to me about coming here is the community aspect of it,” said Mishko, who was hired in October. “We have an incredible piece of 32 acres right inside of a beautiful town. It’s just under-utilized, and it has been for a long time. We could use all this space and these buildings and this great setting to have more of a hub for the community.”
Mishko, currently commuting from Gig Harbor, plans to relocate to Port Townsend in February. She said she lived in Port Townsend for a number of years in the 2010s.
With previous experience in the nonprofit world, Mishko spent much of her career in construction management.
She expects her understanding of plans, permitting and project management will aid efforts to maintain the fairgrounds’ facilities.
“These buildings have had a lot of deferred maintenance over the years,” she said. “They haven’t been used. They’ve been kind of run down. Outside of that, there’s infrastructure issues with power and water. Having some familiarity with that has been helpful as far as tackling priorities or looking at what we need to do.”
The property has about 15 buildings, said Operations Coordinator Alissa Gubelman, Mishko’s first hire. A first priority for the four-person fairgrounds team has been getting into the buildings and assessing their use and their capacities.
“We have buildings here that were just filled with things like storage and things for the fair,” Mishko said. “For the last month and a half, we’ve really gone full-bore at saying, ‘Let’s get these buildings cleaned out, let’s take another look at what they need. Do they have power issues? Are they up and running? Are they usable?’”
Many of the buildings are from the 1980s, Mishko said. In a few months, she hopes a casual visitor of the property will notice more comings and goings, whether the traffic is from community events or private users.
She also hopes the buildings will be newly painted. Mishko said the nonprofit already has the paint. It may host some painting parties, inviting community members to volunteer, Gubelman said. Food and drink likely would be provided.
Mishko said the organization hopes to build a strong volunteer base.
Rounding out the fairgrounds team are Lillian Gulden, keeper of the grounds, and Danny McEnerney, facilities and maintenance manager.
The fair itself is a huge undertaking, Mishko said. She hopes to maintain its history while pushing it to a more engaging and inclusive place.
Current usage
The Art Building and the 4-H building are heated, lighted and have bathrooms and kitchens, Mishko said.
Gatheringplace, a local nonprofit, uses the art building three days a week. OCEAN K-12 is currently using the building for rehearsal and set building for the school’s upcoming production of the Hobbit, which will run in the Erickson Building.
The Art Building can be rented at $350 for a full day, $175 for up to five hours, with a $100 cleaning fee and a $200 food and beverage cleaning fee.
The 4-H building can be rented at $250 for a full day, $125 for up to five hours, with a $100 cleaning fee and a $200 food and beverage cleaning fee.
Erickson Dance Hall houses the fairgrounds’ office, a kitchen used by Jefferson Healthcare to prepare its food and a venue with a stage and a modest sound system. The venue is used for dances, dinners and several quinceaneras, Mishko said.
The Port Townsend PickleBall Club has installed a temporary court.
Gubelman said Blues Chaser, a square dance group, use the space.
“They rave about the wooden floors, ‘Best dancing floors in the county,’” Gubelman said.
Erickson Dance Hall can be rented at $400 for a full day, $200 for up to 5 hours, with a $100 cleaning fee and a $200 food and beverage cleaning fee.
The rentals all include tables and chairs, as well as nonprofit prices.
Some of the other buildings on the property may be available for trade or in-kind work on a case-by-case basis, Mishko said.
Key City Public Theatre has been building sets on the property in the Old Commercial building. A community member wanting a space to work on his trailer also has used the building, Mishko said.
The fairgrounds hosted a solstice bonfire in December, Mishko’s first event on the property. Board Secretary Tobi McEnerney said the event was a success.
“We are beyond thrilled to have found Karly,” McEnerney said. “Karly’s contribution in helping pull off the Solstice Party right after beginning her tenure showed that she understands not just nonprofit and facility needs, but that she is heart first in the community aspect. We feel very lucky to have her.”
Patrick Forrestal of Port Townsend Glassworks gave live demonstrations during the Solstice Bonfire in the horticulture building.
After the event, he coordinated with the new management to see if he could rent the space for a few more days, he said. Before securing a space on the property, his workshops have took place in a tent on his property and had been impacted by recent windy weather, he added. Forrestal can be reached for details about his workshop or shopping in his fairgrounds location via email at porttownsendglassworks@gmail.com.
The grounds are used on an ongoing basis by a number of groups, including 4-H, Port Townsend Rock Club, Port Townsend Kiwanis, a neighborhood Home Owners Association and North Beach Potluck.
For those interested in making use of the the fairgrounds for an event or a project, email Mishko at director@jeffcofairgrounds.org or Gubelman at office@jeffcofairgrounds.org.
Mishko said she’s excited to be back on the Olympic Peninsula, integrating into the community. Coming with her are her daughters Fiona, 11, and Ava, 6. The three enjoy camping and exploring beaches in search of sea glass, often accompanied by their dog Emerson.
Upcoming fairground events
Master Gardener Lecture Series: From 10 a.m. to noon Saturdays until Feb. 15.
Blues Chaser Square Dance: Feb 14-15.
Jefferson County Conservation District Native Plant Sale: Feb 22.
Community Garage & Tack Sale: March 15.
Rhody Dance: May 17.
Rhody Run: May 18.
Jefferson County Fair: Aug. 8-10.
Further information can be found on the fairgrounds website, https://jeffcofairgrounds.org, although it’s a work in progress, Mishko said.
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Reporter Elijah Sussman can be reached by email at elijah.sussman@sequimgazette.com.
