Funnel cakes, Ferris wheels… and fossilized poop?
The Big Sky Country State Fair has gone prehistoric this year, with dinosaurs taking center stage as the 2025 fair theme.
Among the new attractions turning heads is Prehistoric Nation, a hands-on dinosaur exhibit brought to Bozeman by Atlanta-based brothers Michael and Justin Brabson.
“There’s a big sky and it’s amazing!” Michael Brabson said of their first time at the Montana fair.
WATCH: Dino Mania - Big Sky Country State Fair Features Hands-On Prehistoric Attractions
The interactive display features life-sized animatronic dinosaurs that move, and even let you saddle up for a ride.
“All of it as a whole is just going to make them enjoy the wonderment and everything that we can possibly do for dinosaurs,” he said.
The Brabson brothers’ scaly cast includes the armor-plated Ankylosaurus. While you might not expect Jurassic creatures at your local fairgrounds, the exhibit fits right in this year.
“The fun thing I like to say about the fair is that it's educational,” said Fair Director Caitlin Quisenberry.
Quisenberry said this year's dino-theme is woven throughout the fair — from signage and merchandise to featured events — and the team knew they couldn’t do it without help from one of Montana’s most iconic institutions.
“Dinosaurs are a classic. They are a classic theme,” Quisenberry said.
Just steps from Prehistoric Nation in the Haynes Pavilion, Museum of the Rockies educator MaggieJo Widdicombe is greeting guests with a more portable prehistoric pal: a tiny Myosaurus hatchling puppet named Willow.
“This is Willow! She is a little hatchling Myosaurus, so this is how big a Myosaurus would be,” Widdicombe explained.
In just the first few hours of the fair, Widdicombe said she had already shared dino-facts with more than 50 people.
“I just love interacting with people, especially kids who love paleontology — and just getting them to be inspired,” she added.
The dinosaur theme, Quisenberry says, has been 15 months in the making. And while the fair is still in full swing, organizers are already planning ahead.
“We had that conversation on why we’d have dinosaurs 15 months ago, and we’ve been nonstop ever since,” she said. “So next year is going to be outer space.”
But before liftoff, Quisenberry says fairgoers still have plenty of time to enjoy this year's theme.
“We get to hang out with my dinosaurs and have just a dino-mite time!”Brabson says.
The Big Sky Country State Fair runs through Sunday at the Gallatin County Fairgrounds.
