FLORIDA FAIR NEWS………...………………………………………….….
Clay County Agricultural Fair— ―Fun for the Whole Herd‖
What a Fair! Our new theme said it all…Fun for the Whole
Herd! We set new records, and enjoyed our smoothest, most balanced
fair yet. Teamwork, perfect weather, and a fantastic package com- bined to help us serve 102,728 guests. That‘s a record by a long shot since we‘ve been counting attendance by our scan based system. We were up 22%. Everything clicked this year and again, I think the economy
helped us. Our promotional days set new daily records, like open- ing day‘s 14,070 for Dollar Day. To add exposure we had a spe- cial ribbon cutting ceremony with local live TV coverage. Many were suffering from cabin fever and this was the first day with over 80 degrees in over 100 days. Sunny Spring weather….yep, that means ―The Fair‘s in Town‖ On Friday we opened early because of Good Friday and school
was out. We expanded some of our special events like the lawn mower races to afternoon and night shows. It worked! Saturday was again Rodeo Day with two shows for the Florida
High School Rodeo Competition. We added DeWayne Spaw for pre-show entertainment to energize the crowd and it worked. Sun- day was behind last year in numbers due to Easter. However, it didn‘t lack for activities and participation. We added a special Easter Egg Hunt in our Early Florida Village. Children came and enjoyed the activities including special appearances by Sponge- bob Squarepants, Dora the Explorer, Merry Moo, Easter Bunny and the Pig. Team FMX Motocross performed a free style stunt show in the Arena on Sunday and Monday. Last year we set a new daily record for ―Twelve Buck Tuesday.‖
This year we broke it! Over 10,000 attended this year‘s promotion for the special armband day. We also moved our Talent Show to Tuesday and added Joey Stuckey and Lee Brice as special en- tertainment. Entertainment was again fantastic. Main Stage entertainers in-
cluded: 38 Special, Palmetto State Quartet, Kort McCumber, Bellamy Brothers, Emily West, Jimmy Wayne, and Julianne Hough. Strolling acts were Washboard Willy, Turbo the Ro- bot, Pickles Da Clown, Ronald McDonald, Spongebob Squarepants and Dora the Explorer. Ground acts included: NoJoe’s Clown Circus, Frog Jumping Show, Rosaire’s Royal Pig Races, Disc-Connected K-9’s World Famous Frisbee Dogs and Ron Diamond’s Hypnosis and Magic Show. Woody’s Menagerie Petting Zoo, Camel Rides and Reptile Show were also added this year. Our Community Stage is now a destination for guests. Again over 500 people performed on the ―Clay‘s Got Talent‖ Community Stage. Activities included clog- gers, dance teams, vocalists, bands, diaper derby, toddler trot, bingo, and sweet-treat walk for Seniors. Special additions for this year included a Chess Tour-
nament and Guitar Hero Contests. Applications are now available with online entries on our website. Yes, we had a full table of top- line entertainment and our guests enjoyed their performances. Our livestock exhibit was again a popular destination. The 4-H/
FFA Youth Livestock Sale was up with fewer animals. The total sale of $182,195 produced a big reward for 86 local 4-H and FFA students to help with their college fund. The average sale per pound for swine was $ 7 and steers $ 2.50. Competitive exhibits were above 3,000 this year. Demonstra-
tions in Painting & Photography continue to draw crowds. New contests this year included Recycling, Fair Theme Photo, and Clay County Red Hats. Our Early Florida Village continues to improve and be a favorite of our guests. This year guests again voted Early Florida a favor-
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ite at the Fair. The live experience and interaction with guests is the key. Free food samples, knowledgeable craftspeople, and many exhibits of the actual home places of our pioneer families make it a ―must see,‖ Live entertainment makes the experience even more enjoyable. This year the Fair went Green and implemented recycling. The
results were great. Almost 4 tons of cardboard, bottles/cans, over 500 gallons of cooking oil, and 38 loads of manure were kept out of the landfill and recycled. A Communication Committee, as recommended by NICA, was
started this year with our vendors. We had two meetings and are encouraged by our first year results. Yes, we enjoyed another great Fair. We were blessed with 10
days of perfect weather and a fantastic package. We have an awesome team! We have taken surveys and recapped our performance for
2010. Once we sit our new Board of Directors after the Annual Meeting in June, we will begin preparing for our 2011 Fair. Our dates will be March 31, - April 9, 2011. This will be our 25th Anni- versary. Mark your calendars and come join the fun. Our team will work to make it a special experience.
Thanks to the generosity of Belle City Amuse- ments an updated history of Florida Fairs and the Florida Federation of Fairs was made available to all registered delegates. A copy with your name attached was at the registra- tion desk following Friday‘s Opening Session. Those not picked up will be at the Summer Workshop.
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