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State Fair officials tout rising attendance and push LFC budget assumptions on admissions revenue
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Summary
Expo New Mexico officials told the Appropriations & Finance subcommittee that attendance and non‑state revenue are rising and outlined programming, capital needs and a $375,000 general‑fund allocation for the African American Performing Arts Center; LFC and executive budget recommendations differ mainly on paid‑admissions forecasts.
Expo New Mexico leaders told the Appropriations & Finance subcommittee that the State Fair remains largely self‑funded while serving as a major cultural and economic event for New Mexico.
"We are the New Mexico State Fair ... over 515,000 people came this last fair," said Dan Morning, general manager for the State Fair, describing attendance levels despite multiple heavy rain events. Carly Malone, the Legislative Finance Committee analyst for the agency, said the LFC recommended a $16,500,000 budget while the executive recommended $17,000,000 — a roughly $480,000 gap driven mainly by different assumptions about paid admissions revenue (LFC: $4,600,000; executive: $5,100,000).
The LFC recommendation represents roughly a $721,000, or 4.5 percent, increase relative to FY26, Malone said; the executive recommendation reflects about a $1.2 million, or 7.6 percent, increase. Malone also confirmed that both recommendations include a $375,000 general‑fund allocation for operations, maintenance and programming at the African American Performing Arts Center (APAC) on the Expo New Mexico campus.
Morning and lawmakers described the fair’s broader community roles beyond the annual event: Expo New Mexico serves as a staging site during declared emergencies, hosts year‑round shows and community events, and coordinates with local partners for public‑safety and sheltering services. Morning told the committee Expo New Mexico raised roughly $739,000 last year to support 4‑H and FFA youth programs and emphasized efforts to keep the fair affordable through discounted days and promotions.
Committee members pressed staff on metrics and programming at APAC after Morning said the facility hosted 54 events since July, compared with nine events in the prior fiscal year. Lawmakers asked about pricing, parking and how the facility balances community access with enterprise operation requirements; Morning said pricing is set with market comparisons and that parking fees depend on the event’s promoter arrangements.
The subcommittee treated the State Fair presentation as informational; no final budget motions were taken during this session and members said they will consider the item again at a later meeting.
