Bartholomew County officials say 2022 attendance took a dip, but was successful

When it comes to comparing attendance and revenue for the Bartholomew County 4-H Fair, context is everything.

And while there weren’t any records set, this year’s fair turned out to be very successful, fair board members said.

About 100,000 fair-goers showed up for the nine-day event from June 24 through July 2, fair board president Rick Trimpe said. If you compare that with how many came in 2021, the number of patrons was down by about 10,000.

But the 110,000 who attended the fair last year was unusually large, board treasurer Janet Clouse said.

Many patrons had been in isolation for over a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But after getting vaccinated, a large number of local residents wanted to feel a return to normalcy in 2021 by going to Bartholomew County’s most popular annual event, fair board members said.

In addition, mild and dry conditions prevailed during the 2021 fair, which also helped to boost the turnout even further, fair officials said.

So when this year’s figures are compared with the crowds in 2019, the nine-day event attracted 6,500 more patrons.

“The attendance was very good,” Clouse said.

Fair attendance is estimated through a formula involving counting parked vehicles. The $5 parking fees are split evenly between the fair board and Fraternal Order of Police Local 89, which uses much of their proceeds to sponsor programs that assist area children.

Brought to the fairgrounds by Kissel Entertainment for the second consecutive year, the midway took in $89,035, Trimpe said. That’s up from $86,889 during the 2021 fair. The fair board receives 10% of all midway revenue.

It’s likely the midway brought in more money because Kissel was charging more for armbands that provide unlimited rides during specific times, Trimpe said.

In terms of revenue raised by nonprofit organizations, the results were mixed this year. Some groups made more money than last year while others made less, Trimpe said. But the fair board president also says one difficulty shared by nonprofits and exhibitors alike was recruiting volunteers to work at the event.

“Unless this economy straightens up, we’re still going to have the same problem (next year),” Trimpe said.

Despite the fact that the forecast warned of excessive heat just days prior to the June 24 opening, Clouse said the weather turned out to be great during fair week.

“We had very little rain,” Clouse said. “Just one evening that rained out the Sunday evening tractor pulls.”

In addition, there were few, if any, acts of vandalism, violence or illegal acts that board members were aware of, she said.

So now, the fair board is already looking ahead toward next year’s event. One of the topics that will receive the most attention at upcoming meeting will be the grandstand events, Trimpe said.

“The rodeo went over real well this year, so we know for sure we are bringing it back next year,” he said.

But after several years of being the top attraction, it’s still the Saturday night Demolition Derby held on the last day of the fair that brings in the largest crowd, Trimpe said.

One new feature that will be available for the first time in 2023 deals with long-overdue infrastructure. An investment of $629,180 is being made for the installation of new sanitary sewer service, electrical pedestals and water upgrades the the fairgrounds. Construction is expected to be completed by March 1, in order to give the fair board about three years to grow new grass.

The project will be financed with COVID relief funds made available to the county through the American Rescue Plan.