HELENA — The Last Chance Stampede and Fair not only has a large physical impact, but it also has a sizeable economic impact.
"When community can pull something like this together, it's beneficial for everybody," said Toua Moua, who owns one of the two SKC Teriyaki food trailers.
(Hear from local vendors how the fair impacts their yearly bottom lines)
The trailers have been a staple of the fair for around 15 years.
Moua said, "As the years went on, we grew along with the fair too, so it was really cool to see."
During the warmer months, he travels around Montana with his staff, attending various fairs and concerts.
"It's not really a job; it's more of a lifestyle," he said.
SKC Teriyaki is one of the 90 vendors at the fair this year, which draws in roughly 50,000 visitors over the three days it is open.
While the data is not exact, the Helena Chamber of Commerce says last year's fair saw hotels averaging an "occupancy of 80% over that weekend, which results in roughly $750,000 in revenue into the community."
"This is where we can make our money to get us through the winter, so they're very important for us," said Debbie Gammon, who owns Funnel of Love.
She has been coming to the Last Chance Stampede and Fair for five years, and she says it is one of her favorite summertime stops.
Gammon said, "I wouldn't want to be anywhere else this weekend."
She says that while the vendors spend almost every day of their summers traveling from fair to fair, the atmosphere makes the time worthwhile.
"Nobody comes to these places to be miserable," Gammon said. "They come to have a good time, so it's just really positive energy."
