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Sherburne County Fair reports 17,248 attendees and $4.7 million economic impact for 2024
Summary
Sherburne County Agricultural Society presented final fair statistics and an economic-impact study that placed the fair’s one-year impact at $4.7 million and the fairgrounds’ year-round impact at $9 million.
Jenny Ax, president of the Sherburne County Agricultural Society and CEO of the Sherburne County Fair, briefed the county board on the 2024 fair and year-round fairgrounds activity, sharing attendance and economic-impact figures.
Ax said the 2024 fair attracted 17,248 attendees. She reported 339 commercial exhibitors and 1,549 competitive exhibits; 15 daycare groups with 209 children attended daycare day; 129 individuals attended a dance for people with special needs; and senior day drew 647 seniors with free entry. The fair listed 56 commercial vendors and 17 food concessionaires; carnival ticket sales were up while beer sales were down.
Ax summarized volunteer contributions: non-fair volunteers logged 756 hours (valued at about $26,312), and fair board volunteers logged 6,155 hours (valued at about $214,162) — totals she said significantly exceed the fair’s annual operating budget. She noted the fair will send a county-funded economic-impact study and highlighted two awards the fair board will accept at an upcoming national convention.
Ax presented the county-funded economic-impact study’s key numbers: the county fair’s one-year economic impact was $4,700,000, generating $165,000 in sales tax; the fairgrounds’ year-round economic impact was $9,000,000, generating $319,000 in sales tax.
Board members thanked the fair board and volunteers for the work and said the county will continue to coordinate on fairground uses and the fair’s needs.
