Despite loss of day, fair dodged much bigger bullets
IMPERIAL — All things considered, losing a day from the 2020 California Mid-Winter Fair & Fiesta is looking like a bargain by comparison.
Sustained winds of 30 miles per hour, with gusts up to 50 miles per hour, on March 1 convinced the fair board to shutter the grounds for the sake of public safety.
The fair’s Executive Director Alan Phillips said the decision wasn’t an easy one but he believes it was the correct one. “The winds never died down here, and for our fairgoers and employees safety, it was the right decision in the end,” he said.
“We certainly received criticism for closing the one day, which I can understand, but had we opened we would also have been criticized, so it really is a no win situation,” Phillips added.
He said the argument that the fair weekend should be moved to later in the spring, when it’s typically less windy in the Valley, sounds a lot simpler than it is.
“The fair industry is similar to a touring concert where the partners go from one fair to the next, and people’s criticism of needing to move fair dates is not something that can just happen,” he explained. “There are many moving parts, from the partners to the livestock which would all have to be factored into any decisions to change something such as the dates.”
Besides, had the fair been scheduled even a week later than it was, it’s unlikely there would have even been a California Mid-Winter Fair & Fiesta in 2020.
“Between the 1.5 inches of rain we received on the grounds and COVID-19, it would have been disastrous for us and our fair partners,” Phillips said.
“After our fair, many concessionaires, vendors and carnival were having event cancellations, which puts them all in an economic strain. At least they were able to be at our fair (and some were at the Riverside Date Festival prior) to hopefully help them stay financially afloat during this crisis.”
This year’s admission numbers generally reflect the loss of
a weekend day, but strong attendance the previous two days helped mitigate the impact. Total admissions were down 6 percent, while paid admissions were down 10 percent.
Presale tickets for the carnival were down 7 percent, while sales onsite were down 1 percent, contributing to a total decline in carnival revenue of 4 percent.
Meanwhile, deep-fried food and other delicacies held steady, as food concessions reflected no change compared to 2019. Spiral
fries and funnel cakes remained the most popular food items.
Virulent Newcastle Disease forced cancellation of poultry exhibitions at the fair for the second year in a row, but there was a 9 percent increase in livestock exhibits, with 1,252 animals being shown.
Sales of 773 animals (a 4 percent increase compared to 2019) totaled $2,070,755.57, up 1 percent. Premiums paid to livestock exhibitors totaled $3,482.
A steer fetched the highest price of any animal at $21,000,
but the best price per pound, $55, went for a lamb.
“I’m happy that our community continues to support the livestock program,” Phillips said. “I’m always in amazement that our livestock sale continues to increase every year, sometimes not much, but we haven’t seen any drastic drops in that program.”
There were 1,824 youth exhibits at this year’s fair, and 737 adult exhibits. Adults earned $2,756 in premiums, while the kids collected $ 5,180. More
than 30 schools had displays in the School Exhibits building.
Next year’s fair is scheduled for Feb. 26 to March 7, and Phillips is already contemplating tweaks and improvements he’d like to see.
“Some of them are subtle and things the public wouldn’t even know about or see, and some are changes in programs, others are improvements to the grounds,” he said. “We have to change and improve, or we will stagnate and risk the loss of our community support.”