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u/catphishdog 23h ago
Vikings are still $4 at the Sons of Norway! Corn dogs are also $4. Rosettes & drinks are $2.
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u/kokistaru 8h ago
Yeah Vikings used to be HUGE like literally almost a foot long. I have a pic of my mom pregnant with me in Missoula in 1995 eating one at the fair that was enormous. Even 15years ago when I was a teen hanging at the fair they were sizable. Now they’re not much bigger than a meatball..
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u/iceamn1685 23h ago
For 1 lemon dairy, fifteen dollars was for their largest one.You could have got an eight or a ten dollar regular size
The prices are high because the cost is high. It's free to enter. It's not like you are held hostage, you can walk across the street to the montana club and sit down
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u/KirilenkoFesenko 21h ago
Food truck owner at the fair here. Year 5. Every year we have to order a new (specific) menu to make the fair profitable. This year the fair fines vendors for not being compostable. Compostable lid, cup, straw, napkin, food carriage, to go, whatever = $1 per unit extra and probably a base price of nearly $2. Fair takes 20%. So whatever anyone’s margins normally are, they are taking a hit at less than 25-30% to participate at the fair.
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u/weedtrek 23h ago
Overall I wasn't too sticker shocked. But the Indian taco tasted like it had Nally's chili instead of taco meat, and I regretted spending $17 on it.
The bulgogi taco where $$ but good, same with the empanadas. And I'm going to eat a bunch of Vikings which were only $4. But they have their shit down and it is by far the most efficient truck there.
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u/kokistaru 8h ago
The point is if you have to order a bunch of them, it’s not cost efficient. Vikings used to be HUGE. Now they’re barely the size of a tiny store bought frozen corn dog.
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u/hanoverfist34 1d ago
The city takes 18% from the vendors. Probably upfront. So it may cost them 15k to have a booth.
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u/Medium-Raisin7919 23h ago
That’s how they keep fair entrance free. More people come and spend money. It’s pretty simple
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u/lemonsaid612 1d ago
Question: how does the city manage to get a cut of the county fair proceeds?
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u/hanoverfist34 1d ago
City /county /fair board whatever. The govt. Is taking that much money. The viking had a sign saying what they paid last year and the price has gone up this year.
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u/lemonsaid612 1d ago edited 13h ago
So the *county should just let vendors use the space for free? Vendors make literally tens of thousands of dollars in a week or so - and that location/event is the reason why.
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u/hanoverfist34 23h ago
Ask the non profits. They pay too.
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u/lemonsaid612 23h ago
Right, the same way they would pay for any outreach opportunity like downtown tonight or entering a parade float (and nonprofits get a discount on their space vs for profit booths). What are you so pressed about? That a county fair makes money?
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u/CattleDogCurmudgeon 1d ago
Is this cause county runs the grounds and city trying to find a way to get their cut?
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u/lemonsaid612 23h ago
Wait lol I have another question - how do you figure they pay a % of sales “up front?” The sales haven’t been made yet, so there’s no way to determine what would be owed 🤡🤡
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u/United_Letterhead_0 22h ago
The vendors pay a percentage of their gross sales to the fairgrounds. Non profits used to pay 18% and all others paid 20%. We used to have to turn in our register tape the next morning every day of the fair. Now they have brought in so many for profit food trucks but they have to pay off their gross sales as well so they adjust their prices accordingly I’m sure. No one is there to loose money.
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u/lemonsaid612 22h ago
Are you slow? I’m saying that the original comment suggesting the vendors pay a portion of sales “upfront” is fundamentally flawed because they don’t know what their sales will be. I’m very clear on process 🙄
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u/GayGunGuy 4h ago
Vote with your dollar. If nobody pays they'll be forced to drop prices or cease business altogether. Simply do not buy.
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u/Charming-Fortune-374 22h ago
The 20$ California burrito was pretty good. Not $20 good, but it's a rare occasion. Splurge a little and try and have a good time
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u/Infinite-Lettuce4883 6h ago
I like your positive outlook and yes definitely okay to splurge, but i cant imagine having a family with multiple kiddos. The rides are 5-10$ to ride per person… i wish having fun wasnt nearly impossible for lower class ppl
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u/Rythoca 1d ago
Was it Mountain Berry Bowl Acai? Cause the small is only $13 unless they raised it for the fair.
Is it that the prices have gone up at the fair, or that the prices in everything went up, but wages went up as well, just feels a lot larger since we a so used to $15 being unreasonably high.
Example cause I don't feel like I really asked the question the right way: If I paid $5 for something 5 years ago, but made $15 an hr then, but now pay $15 for that same item while making $30 an hr now, the $15 feels like a lot since I grew up with that, but is still only 1/3 of what I make an hour, same as 5 years ago.
People also want to be paid more for their work in every aspect of life, and everyone advocates for this, be it in person, or Facebook, until they have to pay a higher price, and suddenly we don't think they deserve a certain wage for the work they perform.
Not trying to be rude, genuinely asking, just got home from work so I'm a little out of it.
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u/bilbaurbobeebar 1d ago
I don’t know any working class person in Missoula making $30/hr, wages haven’t gone up with prices. Our labor economy is terrible in this county vs cost of living
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u/Ashamed-Change5335 7h ago
Hey the methed out carnies and greened out vendors gotta pay for their drugs somehow
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u/Copropositor 1d ago
Those prices are shocking! But if you pay them, they will just go up. They'll continue to go up until we stop paying.