LAKEPORT >> California’s county fairgrounds have felt the effects of state budget cuts, from reducing staff to risking closure. The Lake County Fair was among the 78 county fairs on the list approved by Governor Jerry Brown, slated for a 100 percent cut.
Today, the Lake County Fair is looking for new and creative opportunities to not only bring in more revenue, but also keep the fair’s vision statement alive: the community’s first choice as the place they come together.
According to the Lake County Fairgrounds’ Chief Executive Officer Debbie Strickler, the Fair had to eliminate two full-time maintenance positions and had to take only the necessary cost-controlling measures to keep the Fair financially feasible.
Other fairs around the state affected by cuts have had to rely on the community for financial. Tulare County Fair, for example, revitalized their Tulare County Fair Foundation that hosted fundraisers to help cover their loss from its annual budget. The foundation started in 2014, three years after the 2011 budget cuts.
Facing ongoing shortfall of state support, the Lake County Fair is finding success in similar techniques, through the Lake County Fair Foundation. Established in 2015. The foundation’s mission is to support the fair by helping with special projects, such as the Christmas Craft Faire.
“Currently, we depend on year-round rentals of our buildings and facilities and other activities or events to make up the income lost from state funding,” Strickler said. “This requires creativity on our part to generate additional funds.”
More recently, the Lake County Fair’s board of directors launched a Second-Sunday Swap Meet. Though rainy weather and Mother’s Day celebrations challenged attendance numbers for the opening event on May 14, Stickler said she was happy with the results. They sold 200 tickets, each at $1.
Now, the fair wants to host space for a local non-profit during their Second-Swap Meet events.
“We believe partnering with non-profits allow us to give back to our community; offering an opportunity for visibility and a chance for them to raise funds. Since it is a new event, our goal for this year is to have one Non-profit each month to highlight both the event and the fundraising opportunity for them.” Strickler said.
She added that these events are not created with the sole purpose of benefitting the fair, but the community as a whole.
For the Lake County Fair it has been a long struggle. The State Budget Package as proposed by Governor Brown in January of 2011 eliminated $32 in million general funds that supported county fairs. As funding collapsed, jobs and resources were slashed around the state. This, in turn, caused a drop in attendance at some locations, which meant less sales tax revenue for the counties, among other impacts.
In a Joint Committee on Fairs Allocation and Classification hosted by the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Division of Fairs and Expositions, it was argued at the time that “many of these fairs are located in small communities with minimal opportunities for sponsorships or increased attendance. The fairs are truly the heart of the community and maintaining state support is critical to their success.”
In March of 2011, when the legislature passed AB95 which eliminated those funds, $210,000 from the annual budget of the division that included the Lake County Fair.
Still, through building rentals, swap meets and other events, the fair goes on.
Strickler encourages interested local non-profit groups to call 707-263-6181 or stop by the Lake County Fair office at 401 Martin St. in Lakeport. The next Second Sunday Swap Meet will be held on Sunday, June 11 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
