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2010 Clark County Fair may be a record-breaker, officials say

Final numbers still weeks away; 2009 losses could be offset

The Columbian
Published: August 20, 2010, 12:00am

Organizers of the Clark County Fair said Thursday that once all the bills are paid, they expect to be able to announce that 2010 was a record-breaking year.

Fair Manager John Morrison said he won’t know the bottom line for at least another month, but knows this year’s 10-day fair, which ended Aug. 15, will come close to making up for the losses sustained last year, when rain drove attendance down 8 percent from 2008.

Morrison estimated that this year’s attendance, including unpaid, at 260,000.

Morrison said the heat took its toll on the final two days, when attendance was down by approximately 13,000 people based on 10-year averages.

But the first two days of the fair attendance bested 10-year averages. Morrison said 40,000 people went opening day, which features a free pancake breakfast, and 37,000 people went the next day.

On average, 30,000 people go opening day and 26,000 people go the second day.

“Overall, we are looking within a percent or two of recapturing all the losses (from last year),” Morrison said.

Morrison will give a detailed report to county commissioners next month.

Commissioner Marc Boldt made it out to the fairgrounds nearly every day, he said Thursday. Boldt cooks hamburgers in the Young Life food booth.

“It was a great fair, and the weather, for the most part, cooperated with us,” Boldt said.

At a July 28 work session on finances, commissioners were reminded by county financial analyst Mark Gassaway that the fair fund — which includes the fair as well as the event center and the horse arena — lost $514,000 last year.

Ticket prices up by $1

The county relies on the fair to turn enough profit to help sustain the events center and horse arena.

In 2008, the fair brought in $2.7 million and turned a $250,000 profit.

In 2009, the fair brought in $2.9 million, despite lower attendance, but had higher expenses and broke even.

This year, tickets bought at the gate cost $1 more than last year, and the parking fee was also raised by $1.

Justin Kobluk, executive director of the Clark County Events Center at the fairgrounds, said he did not receive any complaints about the increases.

A new revenue source, Kobluk said, was found by moving three concerts — a sold-out Scorpions show, Miranda Lambert and Boys Like Girls — into the Sleep Country Amphitheater. That freed up the grandstand and provided revenue ($90,000) to stage free shows for fairgoers.

Kobluk said concerts for next year’s fair will be scheduled at the amphitheater.

Stephanie Rice: 360-735-4508 or stephanie.rice@columbian.com.

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