Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Freeborn County Fair Manager Mike Woitas said there was roughly the same attendance at the fair this year as last year, though numbers would have been higher if it hadn’t rained on Sunday.

For the second year in a row the community church service was canceled, and there were also fewer people who attended the demolition derby.

Woitas gave an update about the outcome of the 2023 fair to the Freeborn County Board of Commissioners Tuesday during a work session.

He thanked the commissioners for the county’s investment into the fairgrounds and said he received a lot of positive comments on everything from the new blacktop and storm water to the new restrooms and shade structure.

Taking into consideration the whole year, overall he said the fair ended with a loss of $22,000, which about $20,000 of could be attributed to loss of rentals of buildings during the construction.

Aside from that, it was mostly a break-even year.

He said payroll for the fair was $110,000, and the fair board also paid out about $25,000 to various high school teams and other organizations in the community.

Woitas said a few of the changes implemented this year at the fair included eliminating busing from Albert Lea High School, as well as eliminating the walk-in entrance at the fairgrounds off of Marie Avenue.

He said the fair spent about $9,000 in 2022 for busing and over the course of five days only had 75 cars that parked at the high school for people to get rides to the fair.

The walk-in entrance mainly had season pass holders and the fair had been paying four individuals minimum wage to essentially allow people through. In addition to being underutilized, the entrance also became a security issue at the close of the night when the beer garden closed.

Another change this year was that they did not sell season passes at financial institutions, but they plan to go back to this in 2024, as well as at Hy-Vee.

Woitas said the fair paid the Sheriff’s Office and Albert Lea Police Department about $12,000 for security, and he commended the work of Sheriff Ryan Shea and his team on their work this year.

He recognized four state fair champions from Freeborn County and said the county is known for its 4-H program.

Woitas said he is already working on the 2024 fair already, and noted that four of the five Grandstand entertainers have verbally confirmed.

The entertainment budget last year was $197,000, and he noted that this year they plan to have a Christian group on Thursday night because of the schedule of the group, and then a country group Saturday, a nostalgia entertainer on Wednesday, an up-and-coming performer Tuesday and a rock band on Friday.

He said the beer garden typically brings in $105,000 in sales. Something new they tried this year was VIP seats with tables, pizza and drinks, and they plan to have that again next year.

While money is still coming in for the new shade structure, he presented a check for $30,000 for structure and also presented another check for about $22,000 for another phased amount that the fair board owes the county.

Woitas said the fair has not had an increase in adult gate admission for many years and is considering a slight increase for 2024.

He has also received commitments for the return of the Van Nationals rally in 2025 and for a group of large campers after the fair.