Ross County Fair Numbers Show Success, though the Heat Hurt

The numbers show that the fair was yet another success. The heat depressed attendance in the first half of fair week, but cooler weather and other numbers made up for that.

The State of Ohio requires fairs to have a meeting within 10 days of the end of the event, and the Ross County Agricultural Society did that on Monday.

I spoke with Marianne Guthrie, treasurer. She had most of the fair’s numbers, which she explained to me. She couldn’t precisely compare them to previous fairs, but said they looked good. Overall, the 2024 fair made about $570,000 profit.

Guthrie said attendance, counted by entry gate and grandstand admissions, improved along with the weather. Grandstand events towards the end of the week did the best, with the the autocross making $51,000 and demolition derby $38,000.

She and board president Brad Cosenza also pointed out that the admissions count is not complete – anyone who camps there is counted only once. Each campsite gets two wristbands each to get into the fair any number of times, with about 1,488 campers in 2024 – and who knows how many people were in each camper, most of which are RV’s!

Cosenza has said that the Ross County Fair has one of the largest fair campgrounds in the state, if not bieng the largest.

Guthrie said rented spaces in the fair were maxed out. She said vendor space for food concessions and non-food concessionaires, as well as booths in the Multipurpose and large Commercial Building, were all rented out.

Among upcoming Agricultural Society events, she mentioned the “Halloween Campout” at the fairgrounds on Friday, October 25th through Sunday 27th. Bring in your camper and enjoy the spooky fall times.

Hear her in her own words in the video interview in the article on the Scioto Post.

Kevin Coleman covers local government and culture for the Scioto Post and iHeart Media Southern Ohio. For stories or questions, contact Kevin Coleman or the iHeart Southern Ohio Newsroom.