Beer issues are brewing for fair board

Members of the Auglaize County Agricultural Society talked about

putting their collective foot down when it comes to potentially losing money on beer sales.

The society met Monday, when the bulk of their regular meeting was devoted to discussions on how to stop losing money on beer sales.

Revenue generated by the sale of beer is split 50/50 between veterans organizations and the fair board.

The board uses its half of beer sale revenue to hire the bands to entertain the tent crowds and pay for stage rental. But the costs of

entertainment and rentals have increase to the point that the sales revenue doesn’t cover costs. Last year, expenses amounted to $6,000 more than the tent revenue.

In fact, while veterans organizations staff the tent the fair board

hasn’t seen any true profit from it in years.

When Fair Manager Ed Doenges addressed the matter in a poor

meeting with about half of the participating veterans organizations present, he offered a 55/45

split — with the fair board getting the 55 percent — so that they would be losing less than before.

“All the sponsorships, all the gate money helps pay for the general fair,” Doenges said.

He said veterans organizations pointed out the fair board has

other sources of revenue. Doenges’ point was that fair officials have other costs as well.

“We’re just trying to break even,” Larry Kill said.

Raising the price of beer was also an unpopular idea among those at Monday’s meeting. Beer is currently sold at $3 a can.

To avoid too many complications for this year’s fair, board members

opted to kick the beer can down the road until the 2023 fair, moving forward with a one-year contract. They will re-address the matter this fall.

Also during Monday’s meeting, members learned that after recent animal weigh-ins there are 166

steers, 75 horses, 98 lambs, 46 dairy goats, and 112 boar goats in this year’s fair. Those numbers are down slightly from last year.

Doenges had to find a last minute replacement for the science and

magic themed Merry Heart Show, after the organizer decided to go out of business. He signed an act

named Grandpa Cratchet, involving puppet theater to fill the slot.