Fairgrounds revenues lag projections as state fair fund shrinks; lighting upgrade seen as boost

Walla Walla County—s fairgrounds manager told commissioners that 2025 revenues to date are below the adjusted budget and the county should plan conservatively for 2026.

Joanne, fairgrounds manager, said the fair-related revenue in the printed budget (as of Aug. 31) was incomplete because collections posted after that date; updated figures show fair revenue to date of about $1.84 million compared with an adjusted estimate near $1.955 million — a shortfall of roughly $110,000–$115,000. She said additional receipts from LTAC (lodging tax) reimbursement and PRCA media rights (estimated $18k–$36k) could reduce the gap.

Commissioners and staff discussed two structural pressures. First, the state has reduced the pool used to allocate the annual State Fair Fund (previously near $4M) to roughly $2.5M for 2026–27, and Walla Walla—s share is expected to fall from about $100k–$120k to about $70k. Second, rentals and event bookings have declined; general-grounds rental revenue through Aug. 31 is considerably lower than the request.

Manager Joanne highlighted a recent lighting upgrade that cost about $150,000 (a $75,000 grant covered part of the project) and said improved arena lighting and targeted marketing could increase bookings and arena rentals. She also raised camping and overnight RV revenue as a small but growing source and suggested revisiting reservation and outreach policies that historically limited promotion to avoid direct competition with private businesses.

The board discussed transfers from current expense to the fair fund and recommended keeping revenue projections conservative and pursuing targeted actions to increase bookings and sponsorships before the next budget adoption.