McKenzie County Ag Expo

There is a place in western North Dakota where you can experience a rodeo on Saturday night and a church service on Sunday morning.

Or a monster truck show one day and goat yoga the next.

It’s all possible in Watford City. Since opening in 2023, the McKenzie County Ag Expo, which spans 212 acres and includes a 112,000-square-foot building, has hosted a wide array of events, from professional rodeo to motocross racing.

“We are bringing in shows that people want to see, and they don’t get to see without traveling a long way away, which is probably the coolest part,” McKenzie County Ag Expo Director Chris Kubal says. “It’s pretty amazing that a town of 6,000 people can bring a Minneapolis, Denver, Colo., type of show.”

Last year, these events drew 60,000 people to the facility, and 41% of eventgoers came from outside of McKenzie County. This benefits the local area, Kubal says, as people eat at local restaurants, stay at local hotels and fuel up at local stations.

The “pipe dream” that became the ag expo facility started in 2019, when Kubal, then vice president of the McKenzie County fair board and Building Committee chair, and others were looking to revamp the old fairgrounds. Facing zoning issues and roadblocks, the county commission told them to build a whole new facility.

Keeping with its roots, the McKenzie County Ag Expo includes a 15,000-square-foot exhibit hall and a 51,000-square-foot livestock arena. Happy cows and pigs are shown at the new fair facility, which is entirely air conditioned – even where the livestock stay!

Traditional fair food is offered at concession stands, and a local caterer, Willey’s Bakken Creations, also serves pulled pork, fries, burgers and more.

The facility has also been used by the business community for events and meetings. McKenzie Electric Cooperative, which provides power to the McKenzie County Ag Expo, will host its 80th annual meeting at the ag expo June 3.

The cooperative held its annual meeting at the McKenzie County Ag Expo for the first time in 2024. Kubal, who is also a member of McKenzie Electric, even provided a petting zoo for members to enjoy! It included a longhorn steer, a donkey, a draft horse, two bottle calves, a yearling calf, a bunny, sheep and goats.

“Having a facility like the McKenzie County Ag Expo, which not only rivals some of the top facilities within our state, but also throughout the Midwest, is something to be extremely proud of,” says Andrew Spratta, McKenzie Electric member services coordinator. “The staff at the Ag Expo consistently goes above and beyond and is always a pleasure to work with.”

Beyond the fair food and events, the McKenzie County Ag Expo is making a quality-of-life impact in rural North Dakota.

“There’s always something to do in McKenzie County, and it’s great, like bringing something new and bringing more life and fun to a super rural community,” Kubal says.

For more information and an event calendar, visit mcagexpo.com.

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Kennedy DeLap is interning with North Dakota Living. She can be reached at kdelap@ndarec.com.