Carnival & Fair News

About two of the three weeks of the 2024 State Fair of Louisiana “caught rain," according to Robb Brazzel, President & General Manager, who blamed the inclement weather for the drop in attendance of about 20,000, compared to the 2023 celebration of everything Bayou State. He estimated that the 2025 State Fair Louisiana reached 125,000, but included a record attendance on the middle Sunday and throughout the closing weekend.

“Spending was up overall and we had record spending on those days, which is great, considering we were catching that much rain during the fair,” said Brazzel. “We did as well as we did because people were spending. Because of the weather it was a challenging fair, but the vibe and the attitude were good. I haven't seen anything like that here before, the media coverage and the social media chatter was very positive and bigger than we've ever seen.”



 

Internal Changes

The State Fair of Louisiana has been on a upwards trajectory post-lockdown, with a rising attendance reflecting a growing population, especially by young families, in the state. By the same token, the fair has undergone internal changes that ranged from new security systems and revamped marketing strategies to a new midway provider and a new general manager, Brazzel himself.

Following the sudden resignation of former GM Chris Giordano, Brazzel assumed the role of Interim Manager for the 2023 fair, coming from the position of concessions manager. He'd been employed by the fair since 2009, hopscotching across various departments including maintenance,  managing sponsorships and entertainment booking. In addition, he's also earned a CFM from the IAFE.

According to local news, it was this experience at the fair that prompted the nonprofit to promote from within. Liz Swaine, State Fair Executive Board Chairman, stated:  Robb didn't really need any on the job training. He had an absolutely overwhelming number of things to do to prepare for our biggest event of the year, and he dove right in. It was like the old saying 'How do you eat an elephant?' He ate it one bite at a time."

For Brazzel, he said the interim year of 2023 was a learning experience. But after being named GM last February, he had an entire year “To focus on the fair. As interim, the intention was to get through the fair because we didn't have time. This year, I had the time to go through all the media stuff, negotiating contracts, looking at budgets.”

The difference of course was instead of reporting to a manager, department heads and other staff members were reporting to him. “I'm grateful for all the support. The staff and the board have been very supportive. It's different being in charge as manager then before when you were a co-worker. You have to be aware of many things as manager because the fair has so many moving parts.”

 

Talley Amusements

The biggest moving part was finding a new carnival company. For the first few months of 2024, the new manager led the selection process, where five carnival companies responded. Eventually the contract was awarded to Talley Amusements, the 4th largest midway provider in the U.S. based on attendance on CarnivalWarehouse.com's 2024 Top 50 Fairs Ranking.   

The swelling crowds that returned in droves during the dry 2024 days was to “see what was new on the midway,” said Brazzel. “Most of the chatter on social media was about the Talley midway. It definitely brought people who hadn't been to the fair in a while. They really created a buzz.”

He said the midway showcased 60 rides – “up more than 15 rides” from the previous year by Amusement Midway Providers, the fair's previous carnival company.  Besides the new rides, the midway was shifted so the entrance to the midway was directly adjacent to the main gate and gussied up with Talley's signature signage, imagery and mascot, “Lil Tate Talley.”

“Everything looked brand new, it blew people away, they loved it,” said Brazzel. “Talley also added new cellphone stations, photo cutouts for selfies, diaper changing stations, it was a whole new experience. We never had those kinds of amenities for fairgoers before. When we got good weather, people turned out. Even though our attendance was down, the midway revenue was up.”

While he was unable to supply the top grossing Talley rides, Brazzel noted a standout attraction was the company's Giant Fast Trax Slide, which he claimed was one of the “biggest mobile slides in the country. They hit a real home run. Our folks have never seen a mobile slide that large.”



The fair showcased 75 food stands, which included “20 or so” Talley concessionaires. “It was a mix of the normal fair stuff, with the heavy hitters being corn dogs, funnel cakes and Turkey Legs,” he said. “We had 2-3 Cajun food vendors. I'm not as involved whereas before my daily focus had been the concessions department. Many of the vendors on good weather days had record sales.”

What continues to lag behind has been the non-food vendors. “It's been harder to book non-food concessions. We get a lot of sunglass vendors, but how many can you have. If you have 20 spots and 15 applications for sunglasses that's not good for us or the vendors. You need a balance on the grounds of different products, so that is an area we are definitely working on for next year.”

It's Fair Time

The fair's marketing tagline invoked immediacy, creating demand and excitement though a new sense of urgency – It's Fair Time. Brazzel said the theme broke with past promotional campaigns. “As we got closer and closer to opening, day, the excitement really builds. It's Fair Time told people what they've been waiting for is starting to arrive. It showed that the time we spend at the fair is special. People liked it, it was a hit, it really worked out.”

The advertising budget was approximately $100,000, with “percentages for TV, print, radio and digital,” he said. “For 2025, we are definitely planning to do a better job with a deeper focus on social media. We need to take a deeper dive into social media. What we did [in 2024] paid off, but we really have to focus on the new world of social media and all the new avenues and opportunities.”

Brazzel said that the new initiative he set in motion as captain of the fair was a comprehensive security system that included restrictions on unaccompanied minors, a clear-bag policy, metal detectors, more security personnel including visible police officers and 20 surveillance cameras throughout the grounds. “We implemented a zero tolerance policy and we had no problems, zero incidents. Safety is the major concern for families and you want the fair to be visibly safe for fairgoers.”

Did his second fair as manager and first fair as a non-interim manager meet or exceed expectations? “That's a tough question,” he admits. “I could say it was a very successful fair, except for the rain. I set goals for myself and my staff and the organization and we all want to hit those goals and numbers. But we weren't able to hit them all because of the rain. We had a decent year and like any outdoor event, a lot depends on the weather.”

But even if fair managers remain powerless against the whims of Mother Nature, the fair is still a viable and unique entertainment experience. “It's a tough balance for fairs to stay relevant, to bring in new things and new ways of doing things even though a lot of  lot of things are always going to be popular. Everyone likes fairs because they can look back to their childhood memories, whether it's the rides or the livestock show or the tractor pulls. Now they are bringing their kids and creating new memories. It only comes once a year, so there is a real specialness to it. As long you provide good value and family entertainment, then you're always going to be relevant.”