In Ohio, the state fair will not have fireworks and will air fewer television ads.
And in Missouri, the state fair adopted the “staycation” theme in its marketing.
State fairs nationwide are struggling with higher operating costs, but also embracing the economic downturn as a reason for people to spend their vacation money on cotton candy, carnival rides and ring toss games.
“Fairs are generally known as good values, and what I’m seeing is that people are making a decision to stay at home and vacation in their communities,” said Marla Calico of the International Association of Fairs and Expositions.
In Maryland, the annual fair, slated to start Friday at the Timonium fairgrounds, is expected to do well, officials said. No major sponsors have pulled out, and the fair is opening a $1.6 million building featuring 4-H agricultural exhibits.
The state fair isn’t using the “staycation” promotion, but is expecting to reach its average attendance of 450,000 people, said Max Mosner, the fair’s president.
“We’re thinking people are staying close to home, and we’re gearing up for a good year — so long as the weather is good,” he said.
But the state fair is not completely immune from financial woes. The fair’s three-year deal on electricity expired this past year, and with a 3-cent increase per kilowatt hour, the fair must raise its admission price from $6 to $8.
Nationally, fairs are doing well because of the economy, as fairs are traditional events, Calico said. However, some states, including Ohio, had to trim back on events such as nightly fireworks at its state fair due to rising costs.
Some smaller fairs in Maryland are doing better than expected. Howard County Fair organizers said this summer’s 63rd annual event earlier this month had its second-best attendance ever, with an estimated 70,000 to 80,000 patrons.
“I thought attendance would be down, but a lot of people said they were taking ‘staycations’ … staying closer to home,” said Mickey Day, the fair’s president.
But food vendors did not set record sales, and operation costs from electricity to trash bags were up this year, Day said.
Midway operators are hoping for higher attendance, as higher gas prices and fewer visits to food and game vendors are hurting companies’ bottom lines.
“Trust me, I’d love to charge more, but we’re not going to get any business,” said Peter Joseph, president of Annapolis-based Jolly Shows, which operates carnivals and midways in Maryland and Virginia.
Jolly Shows is paying $2,000 more a month in diesel fuel, and nearly a $1 more a mile to ship the rides. Joseph said though people continue to ride the rides, fewer are eating at his food booths and fewer still are playing carnival games.
The same was felt at the Howard fair.
“It’s too expensive to do anything anymore, with the prices of food and gas,” said Jim Hance, a food vendor at the Howard fair. “You just got to raise your prices to offset some of [the cost], and eat the rest.”
Staff Writer Carrie Wells and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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