Submitted by San Juan County Parks and Fair

The San Juan County Parks and Fair department is seeking photos and memories regarding the Fairgrounds horse barn. The San Juan County Parks and Fair department received a health and safety grant from the WSDA to deconstruct the existing horse barn and purchase mobile stalls for horse related events at the fairgrounds.

The fair board and staff are currently seeking historic mementos to memorialize the barn and contribute to the Historic Barns of the San Juan Islands website, historicbarnssanjuanislands.com under the ghost barn section. Contribute stories and pictures to patch together the history of the barn.

It is always a difficult decision to deconstruct objects of heritage and history. The many years of temporary repairs, fluctuating horse program participation, changing demographics of the islands and minimal usage throughout the year has compiled into health and safety issues for participants, their animals and general day park users. The grant funding awarded by the WSDA-Fairs Health and Safety grant program has a matching component. This means additional funding is needed through donations, alternative funding sources and volunteer work. Stay updated on projects and events by subscribing to www.sanjuanco.com/CivicAlerts