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Greenlee County Fair drew 8,865 attendees but ran a $28,807 deficit, fair director reports
Summary
Fair and Events Director Justine Holguin reported 8,865 attendees and total revenues of $33,479 for the 2025 Greenlee County Fair; expenses totaled $62,343, producing a net loss of $28,806.94. Holguin described operational changes that reduced some costs and improved logistics.
Justine Holguin, Greenlee County Fair and Events Director, told the Board of Supervisors that the 2025 Greenlee County Fair drew 8,865 attendees over four days and finished with a net loss of $28,806.94.
Holguin provided a financial summary: total revenue was $33,479 (including $13,900 in sponsorships, $13,205 in admissions and $2,197 from ride ticket sales), and total expenditures were $62,343. Major expenses included the rodeo ($27,138.68), entertainment ($15,100.26), temporary employees ($5,510), overtime for county employees ($9,759) and the Sun Valley Rides carnival contract. Holguin said Sun Valley Rides ticket sales totaled $68,788; after the guaranteed contract and split, Sun Valley Rides received $6,591 and Greenlee County received $2,001.97 from the ticket split.
Holguin told the board she reduced certain costs by eliminating small premium checks for exhibit ribbons (budgeted at about $5,000 in prior years) and offered free admission wristbands to exhibitors instead. She said the change sped gate lines and reduced uncashed checks, and the county staff who manned the gates reported it simplified cash handling. "I didn't have anyone really upset that we did away with the premiums," Holguin said.
Holguin highlighted attendance and participation: 912 attendees on Thursday (free day), 2,860 on Friday, 4,405 on Saturday and 668 on Sunday (free day), and more than 1,000 exhibit and livestock entries from local schools and associations. She praised volunteers, the Morenci Lions Club for running bar services, county facilities staff, and Search and Rescue personnel who assisted with parking.
The director said marketing used social media, flyers distributed across neighboring towns and radio advertising; a paid Facebook boost from Sun Valley Rides produced more than 88,000 online views. Holguin said she will continue to analyze the fair’s finances and look for ways to reduce the net loss in future years but noted the rodeo brings attendance that is not directly revenue‑generating for the county.
Board reaction: supervisors and staff praised Holguin’s organization and the improvements in logistics and vendor arrangements. Several supervisors noted the fair’s nonfinancial value as a community event and commended staff for starting post‑event analytics immediately to plan improvements for next year.
