Page 20 Osceola County Fair
Fair Stronger By: Larry Berry
We’ve all heard the slogan and seen the hashtag, #Fairstrong, but what does it truly mean? County fairs have been a staple and fabric of regions across this great country bringing com-
munities and people together for decades. It is time for a little history lesson. What is the oldest county fair in the United States? From what I can tell in my research, it de- pends on which search engine you use. The two that stand out are the Jefferson County Fair in Waterton, NY (203 years), and the Three County Fair in Northampton, MA (202 years). In Florida, the Greater Jacksonville Agricultur- al fair was the first city in the Sunshine State to hold a fair in 1876, but the oldest “county fair,” goes to the Dade County Fair in 1897. For the fair industry to be around for 200 years says a lot about who and what we are, as well as what we bring to communities and in support of our youth. Our industry is unique in that we are competitors, but
then again not. As with our Osceola County Fair in 2021, we play the same dates as the Florida State Fair. Are they competition? Yes and no. County fairs have been more about celebrating communities within the region and the heritage they bring than the larger state fairs. While there is prestige with a state fair, the backbone of the fair industry are the county fairs and expos which stimulate local econo- mies and provide opportunities for local youth. This past year has been challenging for our industry, and
the general public has no idea the impact it has had. They also do not have an understanding what it takes to put on a fair from planning to implementation, and of course taking it all back down again. All they see is, a week before the fair things start popping up on the grounds such as a Ferris wheel and other rides as if it were magic. Our industry has many dominoes in play and the impact of not having a fair or an entire fair season is significant. The concessions, vendors, entertainers, carnivals, the organizations that sup- port and run the fair, all the way down to the youth are af- fected. We are facing challenges with sponsors who are reluctant at this time to commit to something that may or may not happen. The carnival providers need to make sure they can make a profit, and if attendance and occupancy levels are reduced by government restrictions, it must make good business sense for them to even travel and set up. Concession operations are having to be innovative and
do things differently including with their own employees as well as for the guests. Condiment stations may not be al- lowed, and the additional cost of having packaged items such as ketchup and mustard must be supported by at- tendance and the public feeling safe. Entertainers are hav- ing to modify what they do such as magicians who brings a child up on stage as a temporary magicians assistant, not being able to provide that personal touch that puts a smile on a young child’s face when they participate. Vendors need to know when they purchase a space and dedicate a week or more of their life in providing wares and services, they can at least cover their costs. Our youth work months in raising animals with so many costs such as food, medi- cal care, and other expenses. Their reward is the pride of showing, earning a ribbon or premium, as well as the bene- fit of their hard work paying off at auction. These are all things you already know; however, are also
the things that make us strong as an industry. Both the IAFE and Florida Federation of Fairs are critical in holding the fabric of fairs together so the public can enjoy a corn- dog loaded with mustard or the opportunity to win a plush at the water game as both entertainment and fun. The great thing about our industry is, we all come together in time of need, understand the challenges so we can work together to come up with solutions, and are so willing to share information and experiences which benefits us all. In researching fairs in Florida, I reached out to a couple of our members and got an awesome response in minutes with some great information. This is what #FAIRSTRONG means and is a foundation you do not see in most seg- ments of the business world. We face these challenging times together and to use an analogy, “we’re all in the same boat so we might as well row together.” because it makes all of us stronger and better. As we begin to see fairs coming back to life, I charge each of you to write a one page information sheet on what you learned as we are faced with limited opening or even the dreadful event of having to cancel or go virtual. Maybe on the members page we can find a spot for this information where we share experiences, help fellow fairs as we address chal- lenges, and are innova- tive in new approaches we will all surely have to face in this new age of COVID. By doing this, we will continue to be #FAIRSTRONG and keep the heritage alive.
Faircracker FALL 2020
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