Wayne County Fair organizer: Vendors happy, more money earned in 2011

Ending the Wayne County 4-H Fair on a warm, dry note helped it end on a high note.

Sandy House, chairwoman of the Wayne County 4-H Fair committee, said the good weather experienced on the final Friday and Saturday of this year's fair helped increase gate and carnival receipts for the organization.

"All in all," House said, "we came out a little better than we did last year."

House said the volunteer group that organizes and runs the fair, which receives no tax money for operation, is happy at the end of the fair if it has raised enough money to put on the next year's fair. That's exactly what happened this year, she said.

House didn't have any monetary figures available, but said she also judges the success of the fair by comments that she hears.

"I've had a lot of positive feedback," she said. "The vendors were happy.

"This is getting to be a pretty good-size fair. Travel around to some other fairs and (you'll see) we've got a super fair," House said.

One of the things that helped this year, she said, was having a sponsor of the day program. The committee already is seeking sponsors for next year's fair, which will be June 23-30, with the carnival June 25-30.

Two other fair highlights were the petting zoo and the Savannah Jack concert, she said.

House said it is difficult for the fair committee to get a firm handle on how many people attended the event because per-person fees are charged only for walk-ins. On-property parking is charged by the car, not by the individuals it contains.

"We estimate between 50,000 and 70,000 (attended)," she said. "A lot of times, you think it's not many people, but if you walk around, you see just how big that area is that's covered.

"It's neat to see all the families. That's when you know it's a success, when the families come together and they're having a good time."