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Down economy results in increased fair attendance

More people appear to be staying home for entertainment.

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By Everdeen Mason Updated 1:56 PM Thursday, July 21, 2011

SPRINGFIELD — A downtrodden economy may have given the Clark County Fair the attendance boost it needs to survive.

More people have been attending the fair and other local events in recent years, giving the Clark County Agricultural Society — the nonprofit organization which operates the fairgrounds — some much needed increases in admissions revenue.

Fair attendance leapt from 75,295 attendees in 2009 to 94,118 in 2010, according to agricultural society records.

“I think people are doing and staying in more for local entertainment,” said Allan Hess, executive director for the fair. “Attendance has mirrored the fact, it has gone up the last two years, and I’m hoping we have an increase in the attendance this year.”

The agricultural society, governed but not funded by the state department of agriculture, also puts on a number of other events including car and antique shows that have also seen an increase in attendance.

The result is an increase in overall admissions revenue since 2005. Admissions rose from almost $289,000 in 2008 to $300,000 in 2009, and peaked at almost $350,000 in 2010. Hess said about 40 percent of that is from the county fair.

The Springfield Arts Council has also seen an influx of people attending events.

“Our attendance for the last two summers has been up,” said Chris Moore, director of the arts council. He said their biggest draw, the Summer Arts Festival, is not ticketed, so it’s hard to have exact attendance numbers.

“In a down economy, people look for entertainment they can get at a bargain, and at the festival that is the case,” he said.

Vera Daniels, a Springfield resident, said she makes an effort to take her family to local places and events.

“There’s a lot of things to do here, the heritage center, fishing and going to the park,” she said as she left the Clark County Library. “I seldom go out of Springfield, the gas is too high and I don’t have the time.”

And local entertainment can help people like Robert Kennedy, who do not have public transportation.

“I don’t drive and I depend on bus service and work locally, so I try to take advantage of what’s around,” Kennedy said. He said he’s been going to summer concerts at the park.

Unfortunately, the desire for more local entertainment is hampered by a lack of funding.

The agricultural society relies on loans, the Clark County Convention Facilities Authority and budget surpluses from previous years to maintain the county fairgrounds and put on events.

“The county does not give us one dime for operating,” Hess said. “All of the money we generate from the fair and rental of the grounds is what we use for operations ... major construction or repairs go to county if they have available money they do it.”

And they don’t have the money. The agricultural society sought $300,000 over a six-year period to upgrade and renovate their electrical and lighting systems. To accommodate, the county took out a loan for $150,000 through 2013 to give to the agricultural society. Meanwhile, the Convention Facilities Authority will give them $50,000 a year through 2016, half of it going to pay off the loan.

The county may benefit from sales tax revenues generated at the fair, but there is no way to calculate how much is earned.

Various vendors at the fair would each calculate their own sales tax they send to the state department of taxation, which is then reimburses the county, said Howard Wheat, spokesperson for the state tax department.

The true value of the fair lies not in the revenues it generates, but the excitement it garners from the community.

Local teen Khalilah Abdullah said the fair is the only exception to a generally non-teen friendly scene.

“Springfield needs more activities for teens and places to go,” she said. “The only thing I like is the fair. It’s the only big thing in Springfield.”

Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0371 or emason@coxohio.com.

Clark County Fair attendance