Organizing an event as large as the annual Allen County Fair takes a lot of people, and therein lies the problem; they’re running out of people.
Linda Garrett, secretary for Allen County Fair Association, said the number of volunteers has been steadily declining for years. Currently, they have about 16 members listed, but only 10 actively help with preparations.
“It’s getting smaller and smaller,” she said. “People say they want to help but when it comes down to it, they can’t or they won’t, and that doesn’t help us. We need bodies.”
Becky Robb, executive board member, described the situation as “wearying.”
“Even finding enough people to take tickets at events is a struggle,” Robb said. “If you can’t take tickets, you can’t make money.”
For the last four years or so, Landmark Bank employees have helped with ticket-taking. Members of 4-H also help with concessions and cleanup after the fair, but ideally, Robb said, they need a good 10 to 12 people to help out with tasks before, during and after.
In addition, Garrett said preparations for the fair are a year-long task. The association has to maintain the buildings and grounds all year long because the county does not do it.
“A lot of people show up and register and think ‘Gee, that wasn’t so bad,’ but they haven’t seen behind the scenes,” Garrett said.
In addition to regular maintenance, a lot of tasks keep popping up that require attention. Last year, a new crow’s nest was built for the rodeo. This year, they had to build more pens for animals. Interest in goats has been steadily increasing while sheep have been decreasing, so they had to modify some of the pens to accommodate goats. A sewer line was accidentally damaged and had to be repaired. Electrical work needed to be done. The list goes on. Out of the $11,000 budget given to them by the county, about $5,000 is spent on 4-H while the rest goes to insurance and maintenance costs.
“It’s getting harder and harder,” Garrett said. “Some of us are getting old. We need younger people to step up and help.”
Clearly, it’s not a lack of interest in the fair. Garrett said last year’s rodeo drew between 1,500 and 2,000 attendees, and that’s not counting the rest of the week-long festivities. The problem is in finding people willing to step up and help. If the trend continues, Garrett said she worries the future of the fair could be in jeopardy.
Robb also had some concerns about the future of the fair. She said she had originally joined in the ’90s because the fair was in decline and they needed help. It seems to go in cycles, and right now they are in decline again, but that does not mean it can’t rebound.
“It’s worth the effort,” Robb said.
Volunteers are still needed and welcome this week leading up to the fair, during the fair and afterward to help clean up. For more information contact Linda Garrett at 620-228-2101.
Allen County Fair running out of help, time
