The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
COUNTY FAIR FINISHES 107th Annual Lake County Fair draws to a close July 28
“There’s a tradition. Our philosophy has always been to hold onto those things that people like.”
For Wade Crofoot, the Lake County Fair is like a vacation.
He’s been involved in the fair for nearly 20 years, including about a decade-and-a-half on the Lake County Fair Board. He said it’s still felt like a vacation during the past two years while serving as board president.
“There’s a little more on my plate, but I still enjoy it,” Crofoot said.
“Everyone does a great job for us,” he said. “I can’t thank them enough.”
Crofoot said they’ve had another successful year at the fair in 2019, with steady crowds bolstered by “beautiful weather.”
He said more than $173,000 was spent at the July 27 livestock auction, which isn’t a record but close to it.
The fair also had its first rodeo in a few years, which Crofoot said went pretty well.
This year’s fair, which ran from July 23-28, was its 107th iteration.
“One of the primary beauties of the fair is that you know what to expect,” Lake County Fair Board member Bob Dawson said before the start of the fair. “There’s a tradition. Our philosophy has always been to hold onto those things
that people like.”
But Dawson also added, “It’s a natural thing for any fair to change with their community.”
One of those changes came in 2017, when the fair moved to the last weekend of July. Traditionally the fair was held in mid-August, but changes to the start of the school year posed problems. By 2015, three-quarters of Lake County School Districts were in session by the time the fair rolled around in mid-August. By 2016, all but one district in the county were in session by the start of the fair.
Wrapping up its third year with the new date, the wrinkles of the change have been ironed out.
“In my mind, it’s been a good transition,” Crofoot