Pa Fairs

Economic Impact of Pennsylvania’s Fair Industry

Results of a 2013 study of Pennsylvania’s fairsand their economic impact on the Commonwealth

110 fairs a=rac>ng visitors from across the

Commonwealth with 35% coming from out-‐of-‐county


Photo courtesy of Becky Sweger

http://beckysweger.com


A=rac>ng 5.5 million visitors annually

with average of 49,900 visitors per fair


Photos courtesy of Becky Sweger



• Pennsylvania’s oldest fair is the York Fair, organized 11 years before U.S. in 1765

• Some 85% of fairs here for 50+ years

• Typical fair has been around 89+ years


Fairs are Pennsylvania’s original tourist a=rac>ons, providing food, entertainment and

other tourism services throughout the Commonwealth for 247 years and coun>ng





Agricultural ac>vi>es are offered by 97% of fairs, but an equal propor>on also serve as entertainment venues.

CraV ac>vi>es are very popular both during (91%) and aVer the regular fair season (39%).

Some 68% of PA fairs are used for private par>es, banquets and events during the off-‐season and 39% are used for fes>vals, providing unique venues for these tourist a=rac>ons.


0%# 20%# 40%# 60%# 80%# 100%#

Fes,vals#

Private#par,es/events#

Farmers'#markets#

Other#or#none#

Museums#

Food#or#tas,ng#events#

Home#&#garden#shows#

Recrea,on/sports#

Equine#events#

Agricultural#sales#

Motor#shows/races#

Cultural#exhibits#

Boat/RV#park./camp.#

Auc,ons#

Educa,onal#events#

Social#group#ac,vi,es#

Commercial#sales#

Carnival/rides#

Games#

CraQ#exhibits/sales#

Food#and#beverages#

Concerts/entertainment#

Agricultural#shows#

Fair#Ac,vi,es,#ASrac,ons#&#Events#by#Popularity#

During#Fair#Period#AQer#Fair#Period#


PA fairs now cons>tute what is nearly a $50 million industry, expected to grow to $62 million by 2016

$40,000,000%

$42,000,000%

$44,000,000%

$46,000,000%

$48,000,000%

$50,000,000%

2007% 2008% 2009% 2010% 2011%

$48,400,657%

$49,005,967%

$49,280,043%

$49,665,773%

$49,835,352%

Total%Fair%Revenues,%2007<2011%Concession fees account for 17% of revenues indica>ng PA fairs are the place to do business for local and regional commercial enterprises, as well non-‐profit groups and other

community organiza>ons.

Direct Spending by Pennsylvania Fairs = $61,948,000Addi>onal Capital Spending and Government Support = $4,425,000Indirect Spending by Suppliers of Goods and Services = $26,992,000Induced Spending by Workers in the Tourism Economy = $32,744,000Total Economic Impact from Pennsylvania’s Fairs = $126,109,000


$0#

$20,000,000#

$40,000,000#

$60,000,000#

$80,000,000#

$100,000,000#

$120,000,000#

$140,000,000#

2007# 2008# 2009# 2010# 2011#

$111M#$116M# $119M#

$121M#$126M#

Pennsylvania#Fair#Spending#and#Economic#Impacts,#2007B2011#

induced#

Indirect#

Capital/Gov#

Direct#




Programs $17.6 millionLabor $6.7 millionMaintenance $4.4 millionPrizes $3.4 millionTaxes $2.0 million


16%$

1%$

2%$

2%$

4%$

4%$

6%$

6%$

7%$

8%$

12%$

32%$

0%$ 20%$ 40%$

Miscellaneous$

Transporta9on$

Retail$goods$

Rent$

Taxes$

Insurance$

U9li9es$

Prizes$

Marke9ng$

Maintenance$

Labor$

Programs$

Fair$Expenses$by$Type$

Over 92% of fair opera>ng expenditures and more than 93% of capital expenditures are made in Pennsylvania


Fairs range in size from one acre to 250 acres, with an average

size of 63.8 acres

7 fairs5 fairs4 fairs3 fairs2 fairs1 fairs


The typical Pennsylvania fair has invested

$196,000 per year in facili>es, with all fairs combined adding value of

roughly $4 million annually.


$40,000,000%

$42,000,000%

$44,000,000%

$46,000,000%

$48,000,000%

$50,000,000%

$52,000,000%

$54,000,000%

$56,000,000%

$58,000,000%

2012% 2013% 2014% 2015% 2016%

$51,287,261%

$52,781,471%

$54,319,213%

$55,901,756%

$57,530,405%

Projected%Fair%Revenues,%2012>2016%

$32,668,500)

$30,433,200)

$28,137,000) $3

4,112,400)

$37,065,180)

$0)

$5,000,000)

$10,000,000)

$15,000,000)

$20,000,000)

$25,000,000)

$30,000,000)

$35,000,000)

$40,000,000)

2007) 2008) 2009) 2010) 2011)

Showmen/Vendor)Sales,)2007<2011)

There are 600+ PA fair vendors with average

sales of $61,775 in 2011 and $37.1 million in total.


• Fairs and their vendors, employ nearly 6,600 part-‐>me workers in PA and 390 full-‐>me employees. They also employ, combined, about 1,700 full-‐>me employees.

•PA fairs also a=ract over 4,400 volunteers for boards and commi=ees (an average of over 40 per fair) and over 14,600 other volunteers (an average of 133 per fair).

4,056&

2,532&

96&

1,602&

0&

250&

500&

750&

1,000&

1,250&

1,500&

1,750&

2,000&

2,250&

2,500&

2,750&

3,000&

3,250&

3,500&

3,750&

4,000&

4,250&

Fairs& Vendors&

PA&Fair&&&Vendor&Jobs&

Part<Time&Full<Ame&


0%#

20%#

40%#

60%#

80%#

100%#

Equipment#shows#

Recrea:onal#compe::ons#

Adult#educa:on#

Other#events#

Entertainment#events#

Livestock/horse/farm#shows#

Youth#educa:on#events#

37%# 37%#

54%#59%#

74%# 76%#85%#

PA#Fair#Use#by#Community#

85% of fairgrounds are used for youth educa>on events outside of fair week...

and 81% of fairs include fund-‐raising ac>vi>es for local fire and ambulance emergency service providers

0%#

20%#

40%#

60%#

80%#

100%#

Grange#

School#groups#

Youth#groups#

Churches#

Other#civic#groups#

Fire/ambulance#

40%#

66%#70%# 72%#

78%# 81%#

PA#Fair#Use#for#Fundraising#

KEY FACTS:• PA fairs a=ract over 5.5 million fair visitors and

3.7 million other visitors annually• Typical fair a tourist a=rac>on for 89+ years• $50 million of revenues annually and

expected to reach $57.5 million in 2016• $126 million of total economic impacts to PA• 110 fairs in 62 Pennsylvania coun>es• Average capital investment of $196,000 per year• Typical fair used 12+ weeks per year• Fair showmen and vendors produce $37 million of sales• Fairs and vendors offer 6,600 part-‐>me & 1,700 full-‐>me jobs• Over 81% of fairs used to raise funds for local

fire and ambulance services






For more informa>on:

Pennsylvania State Associa>on of County Fairs 128 Cumberland Road Bedford, PA 15522

866-‐814-‐6985

www.pafairs.org


http://www.thewdfo.com

http://www.thewdfo.com



Date post:	12-Apr-2017
Category:	Entertainment & Humor
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Pa Fairs

Entertainment & Humor