Fayette Fair attendance increases
DUNBAR -- Fayette County Agricultural Association Inc. said attendance was up 15,000 at the annual Fayette County Fair this year. And fair board members think charging the flat rate fee may have helped.
The 2003 fair was the first to utilize pay one price admission. For $6, visitors could ride on the midway and attend that day's outdoor and indoor arena events. It went well, said fair officials as 85,000 people attended the fair this year.
That's up 15,000 from last year and up 8,000 to 10,000 from previous years, which have experienced flat or declining attendance.
"I and the rest of the board were very pleased with pay one price. You can't please everyone, but for the first year, it worked,"Jackson said. "The rationale behind it was to make the fair more affordable to the most people. A second result was that we were able to book the best carnival on the east coast, Power's Great American Midway."
Under pay one price, Power's received a percentage of each admission ticket and fair visitors seemed to appreciate the new rides. "The rides were full," Jackson said. "I liked seeing the rides full."
Jackson admitted that there were some problems with pay one price, including some long lines at the admission gate and an overfull parking lot on the last night of the fair. "We have to tweak the system to make it better, but the problems were mostly good problems."
This year was the first with a Fair Princess, Jackson said. "Ashley (Burd) accompanied our Queen, Amanda (Springer) to present awards and was able to attend events when Amanda was busy at other events. The two of them did a fantastic job representing our fair."
Jackson also noted that the Povertyneck Hillbillies drew more than 2,000 listeners to two concerts, more than the national act, Tammy Cochran, and regional favorites The Hubcaps.
Lee Robinson, from the Washington County Fair and Zone III chairman of the Pennsylvania State Association of County Fairs, said that Washington was one of the first local fairs to use pay one price. "It really worked for you. It's been successful for us." He congratulated fair participants for a great event, despite "rain, rain, rain."
Board treasurer John Blaney said that the new admission policy paid off. In 2002, gate admissions generated $180,000; in 2003, the fair received $427,096.52, a $239,000 increase.
"We sold $45,000 in advance discount tickets," he said. "That surprised everyone. We had to reprint the advance tickets three times. We also sold $14,000 in upgrade tickets, for people who entered the fairgrounds as exhibitors or vendors or on other special days who wanted to see arena shows or ride on the carnival."
Jackson thanked all present: sponsors, vendors, and "most importantly, volunteers, for making this 2003 fair one of the best ever."
The fair started with $8,761.03 and ended with $20,566.11. "We've been putting money back on the deposit side for the last three years," Blaney said.
Although all the money from the 4-H and FFA auction benefits the exhibitors and not the fair, the 2003 sale was the biggest ever. Blaney said that the number of animals was down, but the sale generated a record amount of money: $1,999,993,55. That's $23,000 more than 2002.
County Extension agent Don Fretts said that more than 780 4-H youth in traditional clubs and 2,300 additional school enrichment members from 90 countywide schools participated in the fair.
"We're in the business of building kids," Fretts said. He explained that the fair and 4-H mesh in providing an opportunity to compete and demonstrate experiential skills; projects are research-based; the fair offers leadership, achievement and life skills. Fair and 4-H experiences provide skills that last a lifetime and help both youth and fair visitors an opportunity to learn about the vital importance of agriculture in everyday life.
Fretts said that the challenge for the future is to expand the fair and 4-H to develop competition and programs to "meet their respective missions."
2003 Fayette Fair Queen Amanda Springer thanked the board and workers for making her reign a great one. She also talked about getting to know and work with the late Rolland Herring. Herring, a longtime fair board member and volunteer, died early last week. "I know that everyone will deeply miss Mr. Rolland Herring."
The board fondly remembered Herring.
Board president Bill Jackson remembered Herring, as well as Frosty Higbee, a fair volunteer and member of the Old Time Fiddlers' Association, as two men who served as great examples of volunteerism. "Rolland was married to Nancy and to the fair," Jackson said.
Jackson was re-elected to the board, as were Sue Koleck, Tony Regula and Ed Stanish Jr. William S. Gardner was elected to the fair board for the first time. He had previously served on the board as the nominated member from the Penn State Cooperative Extension office. Gardner designed and maintains the fair's Web site, www.fayettefair.com, and introduced the kiddie farm. Linda Rooker was elected to the board for the first time. She has been involved with the fair since her childhood and is involved with 4-H and the cattle auction. All board members elected Thursday will serve for two years.
The 2004 Fayette County Fair will be the 50th anniversary of this countywide celebration of agriculture. Jackson asked for photos, articles and other memorabilia to mark the occasion. "We're planning special observances," he said.
