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Georgia National Fair/Ag Expo reports strong attendance, seeks capital funds for HVAC, barn and RV expansion
Summary
The Georgia National Fair/Ag Expo reported attendance and economic figures to the Senate subcommittee — 7,136 student participants, nearly 3,600 animals exhibited and approximately $1.5 million in sales-tax revenue inside the gates — and asked for multiple capital appropriations including HVAC completion, a new barn and RV-site expansion.
Lori Dowd, chief financial officer of the Georgia National Fair/Ag Expo, told the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee that the fairgrounds host roughly 200 events a year and that the 11-day fair drew 7,136 students, 1,970 livestock exhibitors and nearly 3,600 animals. Dowd said on-site activity during the fair generated about $1.5 million in sales-tax revenue inside the gates and that vendor and midway receipts increase the total economic impact to the state.
Dowd reviewed active and planned capital projects including near-term bathroom renovations, roof repairs and an HVAC split to separate administrative offices from arena HVAC, and said GAE24 and GAE25 funds would support a new barn and arena as well as an RV-site expansion (an estimated 40–50 additional RV sites) and other facility upgrades. She noted that the fair receives about $900,000 annually in appropriation to support youth livestock exhibitors and that a one-time FY26 appropriation of $1,140,000 helped HVAC and administrative renovations.
Committee members asked for a sales-tax breakdown (gate receipts versus vendor/midway receipts). Dowd said the fair remits about $314,000 from gate receipts and most of the rest of the $1.5 million figure comes from vendors and the midway operator; rodeo gate sales were estimated at about $29,000.
Senators complimented the fair's statewide economic reach and asked staff for a more detailed breakdown for the committee record; no appropriations vote was recorded in the provided segments.
