Carnival & Fair News

One of the last of the larger-scale October fairs of the season, the Pensacola Interstate Fair is a capper for the year. Industry observers look at it both a summation of the season it concludes and a bellwether for the future season it precedes.

From this reading-the-tea-leaves perspective, the post-lockdown fair industry continues to thrive. “We had a wonderful fair, 11 days of sunshine, a very successful year,” said Dondi Frenkel, spokesman for the Pensacola Interstate Fair.

The fair attendance exceeded 250,000 – exact figures were unavailable – which is in the upper range for this event first held in 1935. By all accounts, the fair showed significant increases in attendance, revenue, spending, ridership and other sectors. “All the days were up, and the carnival, Reithoffer Shows was up,” said Frenkel. “Spending is higher this year, people had more confidence in the economy. Nobody knew what to expect going into the fair, if people would be spending money like they had been last year and the year before. But clearly, families prioritized coming to the fair, and making good memories. Inflation didn't seem to affect spending.”

With political tensions during an historical election turning the news into a daily battleground no matter the state, the worry was that communities might be too preoccupied by the negativity to support the annual event. Turned out, the opposite was true – escape was in the air. Diversion was the value-added incentive swelling the ranks of this year's turnout. “Definitely, the aspects of the fair appealed to people this year. They are tired of the news. They want to come and have fun, we saw more families and more young people this year.”

Safety & Security

The youth movement is particularly telling. Seeking to avoid, curtail and prevent any the disruptive teens seen at other recent fairs, especially in Florida, the fair implemented a range of new security measures which was publicized widely in the local media. A new arrangement with the Escambia County Sheriff Department jacked-up the fair security with a range of new policies and technologies: 45-officers onsite during fair hours, a Sheriff Dept. Mobile Command Bus parked on the midway, Drone patrols, Portable Video Towers, and a main camera tower.  In addition, all attendees passed through metal detectors  before entering the fair.
Local press quoted Rick Reithoffer calling the fair one of the safest in the country because of the security measures. “We beefed up security, but we do have some local football rivalries that get out of hand,” Frenkel said.

?“None of  that this year though, safety and security was very visible and people responded positively. We had a lot of high school and college kids, they increased. I think they want something other than video games. The carnival industry is alive and well, because it's now a social thing. You're missing out if you're not here because of all the pictures and video they take and spread around.”

Youth Votes

The fair blatantly exploited this peer pressure with a bigger and more muscular social media campaign. The main platforms were Facebook and Instagram with “A little bit of Tik-Tok. We also did banner ads embedded in local news websites and Facebook Ads.”  

For the fair's social media casting, movement and immediacy proved key: “There was emphasis that more than quick shot, we did short, quick reels of 5-10 seconds. We focused on real people and special places. that's what they wanted to see and they get the most shares.”

The fair's marketing, like other events, has steadily migrated away from old media towards digitized platform.  The fair still advertises on television, but reduced its billboard footprint this year. Radio incorporated a lot of the fair's other platforms, including a partnership with local country powerhouse  Cat Country 98.7 BIG, who sponsored concerts, promoted the fair and broadcasted live from the fairgrounds.

Known for its free-stage, the fair's lineup showcased rising New Country artists as Aaron Tippin; Twitty and Lynn; Triston Harper;  Chris Janson; Easton Corbin and Neal McCoy as well as "Bluffett" Tribute to Jimmy Buffet, who some consider the patron saint of the Florida Panhandle. Frenkel credits this year's lineup and the collaboration with the new country station was a factor in the uptick in the youth demographic.

“We had a strong country presence this year,” said Frenkel. “We always to have rock, an R&B act, a  Hispanic act. We appeal to, different segments, but it's always a challenge. Talent buying is more and more expensive. There is a certain level you can't exceed, but we do increase the budget and this was one of highest budgeted years. I think it was the highest.”

One fair segment showing a tremendous rebound has been food and commercial vendors, which numbered 112. Since COVID, filling those slots had become a struggle but 2024 required waiting lists for the first time post-lockdown. “We had more than a dozen people wanting to come in this year who couldn't get in. There was a turnover in vendors but I think it's stabilized and growing. There's a struggle to find workers, and I noticed some with two or three locations that may have cut down from five or four.”

With the purveyors of fair-cuisine back serving up old and new concoctions, what was piquing curious appetites the most in 2024?  “A local legion, the unique Mama Jane, who made margarita funnel cakes and pop rocks funnel cakes. Really unique, I loved it when they take a staple and keep reinventing it.”  

Reithoffer Shows

It was the second year for the 55-ride Reithoffer Shows Midway to implemented a cashless system. The midway provider doubled the number of ticket kiosks to 40, dispersing them throughout the grounds in addition to two trailers and a large ticket book next to the admissions gate streamlining the process of purchasing of admission tickets, wristbands and ride tickets.

With the addition of a metal detector the challenge was ensuring smooth entry and avoiding lines and delays. “Reithoffer's new system was very efficient,” said Frenkel.

?“You still need personnel to indoctrinate people on how to use it, but the kids zip right through and they are the ones tutoring their parents,” said Reithoffer. “Absolutely it was a great fair, we had perfect weather. We've had  two of our biggest years. It was one of our largest attendance Pensacola fairs,  we were up 12-15 percent over last year.”



Reithoffer also praised Jamie McDonald, the fair's new General Manager. No neophyte to fairs or Pensacola, she was operations manager for more than two decades before the promotion, replacing Don Frenkel (Dondi's father), who retired. “The new manager, Jamie, she did a great job. She ran a very successful fair. We've worked with her as operations manager, and she did a great job with the advertising and the entertainment this year, as she has done operationally wise. She has been there for many years, they picked from within their organization, and it proved to be a successful choice.”