ASSOCIATION OF IOWA FAIRS
SERVING THE IOWA FAIR INDUSTRY SINCE 1907
ECONOMIC IMPACT of COUNTY & REGIONAL FAIRS
on the STATE of IOWA in 2008
Currently, there are 107 State, County and Regional Fairs in Iowa. 100 are actual “county fairs”, 6 are community fairs and 4-H/FFA Achievement Shows, and one is the Iowa State Fair. (Note: this report does not include the Iowa State Fair, only county and regional fairs).
The primary focus of a Fair in Iowa revolves around the youth, furthering their education in their project areas, and providing an event that highlights the youth and their projects. Equally of importance is a Fair’s focus on the history and culture of the community that the Fair serves. The following is taken from a mission statement of a county fair in Iowa. It summarizes the mission of all Iowa Fairs.
“The primary focus of the county fair is to, first and foremost, serve as a showcase of the talents of the youth of the community by providing a means of education, exhibit and competition of the various livestock and non-livestock projects the youth are involved in. The Society will also use the county fair to highlight the heritage of the community, and its ties to agriculture, industry, and businesses that are the backbone of the community.”
While the focus of an Iowa Fair is the youth, all Fairs have a major economic impact on their community and the entire State of Iowa. For most all communities with Fairs, the Fair week is the largest activity of their community. A Fair can draw visitors from a wide area, bringing much needed tourism dollars into the communities.
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Total reported attendance at the 106 County and Regional Fairs in 2008 was 2,327,173 persons, down 2 1/2% over 2007.
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Total statewide economic impact realized from the 106 County & Regional Fairs in 2008 was $231,553,417, up 4% over 2007.
4-H and FFA Youth involvement at County and Regional Fairs in 2008
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For livestock projects, 17,913 youth entered 74,764 livestock projects, down 15% from 2007.
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For non-livestock projects, 17,473 youth entered 75,164 projects, down 5% from 2007.
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A total of $503,557 was paid to youth in premiums earned in 4-H/FFA competitions, down 1 1/2 % from 2007.
Open Class involvement at County and Regional Fairs in 2008
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For livestock projects, 2,917 persons entered 7,254 livestock in open shows, on average with 2007.
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For culinary, flowers, textiles, crafts and related areas, 13,651 persons entered 64,580 exhibits, down 2% from 2007.
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A total of $250,703 was paid as premiums earned in open class competitions, down 2 1/2% from 2007.
Capitol Improvements to County Fairgrounds ***
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In 2008 total state aid paid to all County and Regional Fairs totaled $1,060,000 (or an average of $10,095 per qualified Fair.). A total of $5,028,505 was spent by the Fairs for capitol improvements on their fairgrounds in 2008, up 28% over 2007.
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For every $1 in state appropriation to the Fairs, an additional $4.03 was invested in capitol improvements by the Fairs.
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This results in another $35,199,535 in state wide economic impact resulting from improvements to county fairgrounds, starting with the state investment of $1,060,000 in the county fairgrounds for 2008.
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Capitol improvements to county fairgrounds over the past 4 years totaled $16,040,477. Total statewide economic impact over the past 4 years from capitol improvements to county fairgrounds is $112,283,339.
As seen by these figures, County and Regional Fairs are very much an important part of their communities and the State of Iowa. Not only do the Fairs serve the youth of Iowa, but also they have a significant economic impact on their communities and the State.
Another interesting fact regarding County Fairs is that volunteers play a major role in the operation of a County Fair, and the related non-fair activated held on the fairgrounds across Iowa. The reason the County and Regional Fairs in Iowa are so successful is a direct result of the efforts their volunteers, as the thousands of volunteer hours given to the Fairs in Iowa every year. In short, a Fair is a community coming together to provide their youth and their families with an event that highlights their community, which in turn has a significant economic impact on their community. Multiply this by the 106 County and Regional Fairs, and the State of Iowa itself benefits significantly from the success of its County Fairs.
This report compiled from data included in the Yearly Summery Report that all Fairs are required to file with the Association, pursuant to the Code of Iowa. Economic impact dollars are calculated according to accepted guidelines.
*** Note: Not included in this report is the “Fairgrounds Infrastructure Aid Fund” amounting to $530,000, which allows fairs to apply for additional funding. This ‘Fund’ was not yet available to county fairs in 2008.
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