Fair board considers change to beer sales

WAPAKONETA — 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 rev

enue. 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 weighins 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.