Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1920-12-15
Rel q Show Increased Exhibits,
Ah ~t'nce and Receipts. Sew
en-, even Fairs Show
Profit.
STATE AID LARGER BY
MORE THAN $4,000
Greater Interest in Fairs Manifested
by Farmers and Stock Raisers
Heavy Increase in Cost of !.
Putting on Annual
Show

| Inc SShCidi lCpoit Oil SOuiiIy anu
district fairs in Iowa was submitted
Wednesday to the thirteenth annual
Injecting of the Iowa Fair Managers
Association, held in the Savoy hotel,
Des Moines by A. r. Corey, secre-
tary Of the state department of agri-
culture, to whom all county fairs
are required to report. There was a
representative attendance of county
fair officers. and directors at the
meeting. H. S. Stanberry, of Mason
City, is president of the the associ-
alton.
According to Secretary Corey's re-
port county fairs and district fairs
throughout Iowa experienced the
most successful year in their history
in 1920. Ninety four fairs were held
during the year and the reports sub
mitted TO the state department of
agriculture show how successful
these have been. State aid paidsdur-
ing 1920 amounted to $1l3,013, being
an increase of $22,5O4 over the
amount paid in 1919.
"With the bettering of the finan-
cial condition of most of these fairs
there also came a record of marked
increases in the exhibits entered in
practically all departments" report
ed Secretary Corey. "Swine exhib-
its showed 31,565 during 1920, as
compared to 1885 during 1919.
The horse departments, which had
fallen as low as 3,911 entries in
1918, have a record list of 5000
Iduring 1920. This same trend toward
greater interest on the part of far
mers and stock raisers was reflect
ed generally in the. entries for all
departments during the year just
closed.
Attendance totals ran slightly
higher than for 1919. The total at
tendance at all county and district
fairs during the season was 1885,
7S3, or about 100000 more than the
previous year.
Total receipts for these fairs
were $2,229,024' This is an increase
of sS78,2S2 over the previous year.
Receipts at the outside gates brot
s699,434, or about $130,0OO more
than in 1919, and the grandstand re-
ceipts were likewise nearly 100000
more than the previous season.
"Entry fees in the speed depart
ment brought in $3S,61O, concession
privileges $157,4S3, advertising in
programs and premium lists $37,16S
and miscellaneous receipts $143,224.
while attendance and profits
grew during the year the cost of
holding these fairs showed a ma
terial increase. The total expense of
all fairs was $1,215,161, or nearly
100000 more than in 1919. Music
and attractions were the greatest
single item of expense, costing a
total of s32s,703. Speed programs
amounted to $21s,592. Premiums
other than speed, $243,7O2.
"Seventy-seveif fairs showed a
profit of $219,922 during the year
and seventeen recorded a loss of
,479. The ninety-five fairs thus
Showed net profit of $202,442.
"The fact that state aid is al
great factor in keeping many Of
these fairs going and that it has
helped number of them to ulti-
mate financial independence can be
seen from the figures quoted here.
If this fund We're not available the
big work which these county and
district fairs are doing in these COM
munities would not be able to go
on"