Safety first at the Eastern Idaho State Fair

BLACKFOOT, Idaho (KIFI) - It's traditionally a busy weekend for the start of the Eastern Idaho State Fair.

With hundreds of people coming to Blackfoot for the fun each day, local law enforcement is reminding everyone to stay safe and remember the speed limit has been reduced along Highway 91 outside the fair.

"Be aware, pay attention, but also have patience," said Capt. Wes Wheatly of the Blackfoot Police Department. "We've set up reader boards that'll display the speed to both southbound traffic and northbound traffic, and then also there's signage that the speed limit is been reduced to 20."

And inside the fair, large excited crowds can become a challenge to navigate, especially for families. But security is on the lookout for any children who get separated from their parents.

"What they'll do is they'll take a lost child to a place we call the safe place," chief security officer Ron Balls said. "The safe place is located at the entrance of the carnival at the end of the midway run. And they can leave that child there. And that's where the parents can come to pick up the child."

And the Blackfoot Police Department has some tips for parents of small children.

"One thing they can do is smaller children...is take a picture of the child or the group of children prior to going to the fair. And then that way...you have a picture that shows their clothes that they're wearing for the day and it makes a little bit easier to pick them out of a crowd when it starts getting pretty busy," Wheatly said.

The Blackfoot Police Department receives more than 100 extra calls a day during the week of the fair.

They say that is why they're asking everyone to arrive early. Remember the lowered speed limit around the fair and come prepared.