Rebuilding the state fair

It wasn't long ago that the Nebraska State Fair was in financial strain.

The fair's assistant executive director said he remembers those days all too well.

“Some of the buildings and grounds got a little run down. We weren't able to bring the entertainment people wanted to see, and attendance at the Nebraska State Fair suffered,” said Joseph McDermott.

Circumstances that led to the fair's decline are plain, he said.

“The Nebraska State Fair has been historically supported by horse racing,” McDermott said. “We have 32 to 37 days of live horse racing and simulcasting year around. Going back decades, horse racing has always supported the fair and the grounds.”

Until the 1980s that's all the fair needed to survive, he said, but then interest in horse racing in Nebraska started to decline. With the declining interest, declining revenues followed.

“Unlike most state fairs, we get very little state funds,” McDermott said.

As revenues declined through the '80s and '90s, expenses continued to increase.

“We were simply squeezed,” he said.

In 2004, the Nebraska State Fair got help. Nebraska voters decided to give the fair a portion of Nebraska Lottery proceeds.

Nebraska State Fair marketing director Chris Rasmussen said those lottery proceeds give the fair about $2 million each year.

McDermott said that has made a big difference.

“We're able to start rebuilding some of those things that started to run down,” he said.

Rasmussen said badly worn sidewalks have been replaced, restrooms have been renovated, a children's park has been created, and this year a new computerized digital billboard has been installed at the 14th Street entrance.

“That creates a grand entrance to the fairgrounds,” she said. “The billboard can provide information but it can also stimulate excitement.”

Also, some of the 4-H barns were resided, she said. Two buildings were taken down to allow for more program space.

“That's where the Clydesdales will be this year,” she said.

With the improvements and the infusion of lottery proceeds, the fair is starting to rebuild, Rasmussen said. Last year's attendance was up 10 percent over the previous year, and attendance has increased the past three years. That has helped generate much activity at the fair.

“We're out of program space,” she said. “We are full. We have no more outdoor space to rent. The last three years we've had a waiting list for outdoor space. We have a lot of commercial vendors and food vendors. We have everything you can imagine on a stick, and we have healthy food, too.”

Space rental manager Tracie Simpson said there are about 350 vendors using nearly 600 booth spaces.

“We have everything from traditional hot dogs and corn dogs to alligator on a stick,” Simpson said. “As far as nonfood items, we have exercise equipment, cookware, personalized children's books, furniture, tools, cosmetics, cell phone accessories, painted mailboxes, health information booths. There's a good mix of everything.

“A good mix is very important,” Simpson continued. “We don't want 50 spaces of the same things. We do have some things that are the same, but we try to spread them out.”

One of the more popular exhibit programs is called Know Nebraska, where the state fair highlights three counties in different parts of the state, she said. This year the fair will highlight Madison, Harlan and Scotts Bluff counties.

This year, however, that program has been expanded to include three attractions, she said. The first round of attractions being highlighted are the Hastings Museum, National Parks and Monuments and Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historical Park.

All of that has been generated from a chain reaction that started with the infusion of lottery proceeds, Rasmussen said. The result of that means more people coming to the fair.

“People are trying out the fair again and realizing the great value for entertainment.”

Survey results

Last year, staff with the Nebraska State Fair conducted a volunteer kiosk survey to judge the fair's recovery process from its past financial crunch. Fair marketing director Chris Rasmussen released the following results from about 10,000 people who took the survey:

* 18 percent of respondents traveled from outside the Lincoln area.

* 17 percent of respondents traveled to Lincoln specifically to attend the Nebraska State Fair.

* Those responding spent $1.15 million in overnight lodging in Lincoln during the fair.

* They spent an additional $10.6 million in Lincoln primarily in meals, fuel and other shopping.

* 40 percent of respondents indicated that they go their information about the Nebraska State Fair through print media.

* 17 percent of respondents made the decision to attend the fair that day.

* 14 percent of respondents made the decision to attend the fair at least two months earlier.

* 42 percent of respondents indicated that they have attended the fair each of the past five years.