Even with Mask Mandates, Fewer Rides & Food Vendors, The Big E Sustains Spending & Attendance Records
The Eastern States Expo 2021 attendance may not have set new records, but turnout stayed well within the winning streak this New England tradition has sustained in recent years. A significant ... [read more]
OA Finance enters strategic partnership with Haas & Wilkerson Insurance
Fairway, Kansas — Haas & Wilkerson Insurance proudly partners with the Muller family and Mark Walker of OA Finance of Lee’s Summit, MO, the premier lender to the Outdoor Amusement ... [read more]
Attendance Equals 2019, Oklahoma State Fair goes BACK 2 FUN IN 21 with Record Revenue
2021 fair marketing must address multiple, interlocking concepts. Fun, compelling and inviting are still paramount, but with the previous year's fair being cancelled, messages of revival and safety ... [read more]
H-2B Fundraiser: Congressman Henry Cuellar
Bi-Partisan congressional support for the H-2B program is more important now than ever. One of the most effective champions for expansion with verified worker protections for the H-2B program ... [read more]
Sales Surge: Boosted by a Better than Expected Season, Carnival Companies Go On Spending Spree
The pandemic shutdown of the global economy has been easing up throughout 2021. The fair industry as a whole has come back strong, at least, better than anyone expected. Attendance dipped for a ... [read more]
Santa Maria Fairpark Hosts Helm and Sons Amusements Greatest Portable Theme Park Event
The Santa Barbara County Fair was cancelled for 2021, just as it was in 2020. But, this year, at the fair's Santa Maria Fairpark location, all was not virtual. Instead, the venue hosted the "Helm and ... [read more]
First half of 2022 H-2B Cap Met
Today, the Seasonal Employment Alliance relased the following update regarding the first half of the Fiscal Year 2022 H-2B visa cap. USCIS has finally announced that the FY22 first half cap is met. ... [read more]
After first time 18-day run, New Governor returns New York State Fair to 13 day event
In 2019, following consecutive years of record breaking attendance, the Great New York State Fair expanded its run to 18 days, hoping to address the event's rising pre-pandemic crowds. Due to ... [read more]
Kissel Entertainment Midway Enhances the Fairgoer Experience at The Kentucky State Fair
In early 2020, before COVID dominated fair industry (and all other) news, one of the biggest industry story of the new year was Kissel Entertainment being awarded the Kentucky State Fair contract. ... [read more]
Indiana Celebrates the Hoosier Spirit with the Hoosier Cruiser Debut
If you're bringing back a fair after missing a whole year, it pays to know your audience. The Indiana State Fair went straight into the heart of the heartland by marketing the comeback event as ... [read more]
Short Staffed, Less Planning Time - Erie County Fair Overcomes COVID-era Obstacles
The Erie County tackled the two hurdles most fairs faced reopening in 2021 – planning delays and worker shortages. Unfortunately, the longer it took to get a greenlight, the more disruptive the ... [read more]
H-2B Update: Cap Expected to be Met Soon
The following information regarding the H-2B program was published by the Seasonal Employment Alliance (SEA). If you are a H-2B employer, employee, or general supporter of the the H-2B program, ... [read more]
Fairgoers Find Time for Fun at California's OC Fair
Time For Fun! was the marketing tagline for the OC Fair. Rarely does promotional copy so acutely capture the attitude of the public while epitomizing the essence of what a fair provides.The ... [read more]
The Old Normal is New Again: Hot & Stormy Weather Afflicts Wisconsin State Fair
Fair not known to be a COVID-19 super spreader amid 841,074 visitors
After a year off due to the Pandemic, it was an old foe that posed a problem to the Wisconsin State Fair in 2021 – Weather.An oppressive heatwave and severe thunderstorms ruined seven out of ... [read more]
Maryland State Fair Extends Run an Additional Weekend
The Maryland State Fair ended Labor day, however will be extending its run an additional weekend. The event is dubbed "An Affair After The Fair" and will feature a full carnival midway by ... [read more]
Record Midway & Smiling Fairgoers: Missouri State Fair Celebrates State Bicentennial
In 2020, the Missouri State Fair suddenly shifted gears, bringing operations to an abrupt halt. The fair had a COVID-19 plan in place but a few weeks before opening, planning operations came to ... [read more]
Minnesota State Fair Releases Best of Awards for 2021 Fair
Saint Paul, Minn. – The Minnesota State Fair presented awards to 13 of the very best of the State Fair's nearly 1,000 commercial exhibitors, concessions, attractions and food and beverage ... [read more]
Vinyl Shortages, Backorders and Price Increase: Keeping Midways Covered During COVID Is More Challenging Than Ever
The pandemic has challenged all segments of the fair industry, but maybe midway vendors have it the roughest. Food and game vendors are coping with COVID-related price increases and supply issues. ... [read more]
Calgary Stampede: Canada Fairs Open with Strong Community Turnout
Event deemed not a COVID-19 "Super Spreader"
After a cancelled 2020 and a delayed 2021, the Calgary Stampede officially reopened the Canadian Fair season. It was the first and so far largest outdoor event held in Canada since the pandemic's ... [read more]
Shortages & Price Hikes: Midway Vendors Caught in Food Fight Crossfires
Will fairgoers be fed as the state fair season hits its peak in August and September? The answer is yes, but it will cost more and food concessionaires are working harder than ever to make it happen. ... [read more]
Wade Shows: Revenue Up, but Not without Challenges in Post Pandemic World
Frank Zaitshik, owner of Wade Shows, feels fortunate to have been able to operate at some major events in several states in both 2020 and 2021. Like many showmen, Zaitshik has noticed larger crowds, ... [read more]
PHOTOS: Illinois & Wisconsin State Fairs off to a Soggy Start
Two Midwest state fairs are off to a soggy start as both fairs experienced poor weather for the start of their 2021 comeback. The Wisconsin State Fair opened August 5 and the fair experienced ... [read more]
Fewer Workers, Bigger Crowds as Skerbeck Entertainment Group Navigates the 2021 Fair Season
Skerbeck Entertainment Group may be a regional carnival company, but the 2021 obstacles this family owned business, with carnival roots six-generations deep, are overcoming will be familiar to midway ... [read more]
State Fair Meadowlands: New Ticketing Transforms Marketing, Promotion and the Fair Experience
As one of the first large-scale fairs of the summer, many industry observers view the State Fair Meadowlands as a barometer of the fair season, particularly the large-scale Northeast Summer ... [read more]
Plush Supply Disrupted by Shipping Snarls, Increased Costs, Selection Shortages & Labor Issues
The vaccinated population keeps growing and people are allowed to gather at fairs and other events, but the effect of the pandemic is far from over. Public health concerns aside, COVID-19 is wreaking ... [read more]