Mid-State Fair organizers grateful for ‘mostly normal’ event — but how did ticket sales fare?
After a year without a California Mid-State Fair, organizers are feeling “so grateful” for a pandemic-era event that went off without much of a hitch — even though attendance and concert ticket sales declined significantly from two years prior.
The 2021 fair drew 220,000 visitors to the Paso Robles Event Center in late July and early August, a 48% decline from 2019, when 426,000 people flocked to the summer event, according to a Mid-State Fair news release.
But organizers aren’t comparing numbers from the 2021 fair to the 2019 event, said Tom Keffury, a fair spokesman.
“We honestly had no idea what to expect regarding total attendance,” Keffury said. “Lots of people told us, ‘no one will come,’ while others said, ‘you’ll have the biggest year ever!’ We were just very intent, and worked really hard, to put on a ‘mostly normal ‘fair.”
The fair sold 15,000 tickets to concerts this year, down about 80% from the 76,000 tickets visitors bought in 2019.
But, again, organizers weren’t expecting to draw the sold-out crowds of concert-goers who watched Cardi B and Blake Shelton perform two years ago, Keffury said.
Coronavirus restrictions in place when organizers were planning the fair made it tough to secure top-selling acts, he said.
One performer, Bret Michaels, even had to cancel his concert when members of his touring crew were exposed to COVID-19.
“We were unable to book the big names we usually do,” Keffury said. “So yes, we were very aware Uncle Kracker (for instance) would not be drawing as many people as Garth Brooks. But again, the idea was to put on a show, and give our community the opportunity to come see a concert.”
Carnival, livestock auction revenues remain stable
Organizers also celebrated small victories the 2021 event yielded.
The fair carnival generated $1.3 million this year, up slightly from the $1.27 million it made in 2019. The slight increase is impressive, as the carnival had fewer rides this year to help space things out and avoid crowding and coronavirus transmission.
The livestock auction made $2,302,120 — a decline of only 1.5% from 2019 — in spite of the fact that buyers purchased 354 fewer animals.
That total came from the junior livestock auction, which made $1,892,370 of the total, and the replacement heifer sale, which made $409,750. The junior livestock auction took in about 3.2% less money than in 2019, but the replacement heifer sale made 7% more money this year.
The industrial arts auction offered 25 items and brought in about $102,000 — a decrease of only 32%, even though there were 40 fewer items for sale this year, compared to 2019.
.jpg "Image from iOS (43).jpg")
How is the Event Center doing financially?
In spite of selling fewer tickets this year, the Paso Robles Event Center is currently financially stable after potentially facing closure following the 2020 fair cancellation.
The fair provides 90% of the Event Center’s revenue, so it relies heavily on the annual event to remain open.
The Event Center received $3,412,000 from the federal Shuttered Venue Operators Grants program, which went to venues struggling during the coronavirus pandemic. It was one of 41 Central Coast entertainment venues that received funds, U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal announced in July.
The fair revenue and the federal grant, along with “a couple of very generous donations and sponsorships,” will help the Event Center make it through the year, Keffury said. The Event Center also has a “very full” calendar heading into the 2022 fair, he said.
“The fact that we had a fair, and were able to make money this year, will get us to 2022,” Keffury said.
Overall, fair organizers are satisfied with the results of the event, which they put together while flying blind during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“A pre-pandemic, ‘normal’ year was never the goal,” Keffury wrote in an email. “COVID-19 cases are increasing once again, so again, we feel very lucky to have been able to put on a ‘mostly normal’ fair.”
“We received almost 100% exclusive positive comments from those people who did come to the fair — very, very few complaints,” Keffury added. “It seems that those who wanted to come, came, and we’re grateful. And those who didn’t want to come simply stayed away.”
