Letter from the Chairman

Scott Horenstein, current Chairman of the Clark County Fair Association, has been on the Fair Board for 15 years. In addition to the many changes and improvements he has seen over that timeframe, he notes that there are quite a few things you might not have known regarding the County’s premier event. For example:

“For 142 years there has been a county fair in Clark County. Everyone knows of the food, the fun, the carnival, the entertainment and the animals, but there’s much more to it than that. It’s a huge economic driver for the county and tourism destination for the region. It’s a connection to the area’s agricultural heritage and a source of great pride and involvement for the community.

For the 7th year in a row, the Clark County Fair ranked #1 in the state out of the 68 public fairs statewide that receive funding through the State Fairs Commission. In a time when fairs and festivals across the country are in serious decline, the Clark County Fair continues to grow.

We continue to introduce new and exciting elements to the Fair. This year’s themed attraction features an Alien Encounter – The Day the Fair Stood Still.

Here are some other things we are proud of:

o Total 10 day attendance: over 250,000.

o Economic impact to Clark County: between $30-$40 Million.

o Volunteers it takes to put on the fair: almost 3,000.

o Over 50 community charitable organizations involved.

o Youth Efforts Against Hunger donated over 3,100 lbs of quality meats to 14 different

hunger relief agencies throughout Clark County.

o Clark County Home Educators collected old cell phones which were distributed to

battered women.

o Hearing aids and eye glasses are collected for distribution to the less fortunate.

o Open class “Sewing for Charity” donates all entries of clothes, blankets, quilts and

pillows to local charities.

o Memory Makers along with significant donations and assistance from Fire District #6

and Butler Carnival hosts families of seriously ill and fragile kids. A full day of wonderful

Fair experiences such as private carnival rides, entertainment, merchandise, and

interaction with the animals are memories these kids and their families will never forget.

o To date, the Clark County Fair Association has given more than $325,000 in scholarships

to more than 240 students to help pay for college tuition, books, and other education costs.

This year we have moved all of our Concerts Series to the Sleep Country Amphitheater allowing us to provide larger names and more new daily entertainment in the grandstand.

The Fair board of directors (all volunteers) has 24 members each representing their own constituency group. They have done an incredible job of keeping the Fair fiscally sound while at the same time ensuring it stays affordable and accessible to the community and provide a first class family destination for visitors to experience Clark County. For 142 years, the Clark County Fair has enriched our community. I hope to see all of you at the Fair this year.