Thankful for the support, fair board restructures fair prices

After more than 20 years as a member of the Adair County Fair Board, Gerald Sychra, the board president, said the group has made significant strides in how the group supports the county fair — and he wants that progress to continue.

Sychra expressed gratitude for the strong community support and invited the public to the upcoming annual soup and sandwich luncheon fundraiser, scheduled for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, March 1, with the auction starting at 12:30 p.m.

Also in early March, presale tickets for the 2026 Adair County Fair, set for July 8-12, are expected to go on sale. This year marks the 130th county fair.

“There aren’t a whole lot of other things that have been here for that long,” Nathan Baier, a fair board member and county supervisor, said. The first Adair County Fair was held in October 1892, and 4-H was added in the 1920s.

The full fair schedule is still being created, but this summer’s fair will include a new family show by Shaun Jay Magic and a big-time 406 FMX High Air Tour featuring flipping motocross, UTV backflips and a snowmobile freestyle. The always-popular rodeo, demolition derby and Figure 8 races will be back, and the fair will be concluded on Sunday with a spectacular fireworks show sponsored by FNB Bank.

Maintaining the county fair as a summer tradition requires year-round effort. Over the past two decades, the fair board has completed numerous updates to the fairgrounds, including paving the entrance road, replacing furnaces and windows in the 4-H/FFA Center, installing new and improved grandstand lighting, updating wiring in several buildings and burying electrical lines.

Significant enhancements include the new show arena, which opened in 2020, new playground equipment in 2021 and the installation of fiber-optic internet throughout the grounds this past year — all enhancements that fair board members say were well-needed.

4-H participation in Adair County has also been trending upward. While enrollment is still open, currently, 157 club members, 27 volunteers and 65 Clover Kids take part in the program — numbers that reinforce Adair County’s long-standing reputation for having one of the highest per-capita participation rates in the state.

“All fairs are critical to their communities because they promote and teach agricultural education, leadership and values essential to youth development, within a broader context,” the fair board said. The fair board is proud of the fair and grounds and wants to maintain both so the hard work of the area’s youth and community members can continue to be showcased for another 130 years and beyond.

While sponsorship and partner fundraising, gate sales, 4-H/FFA Center rentals, soup lunch revenue and county funding have all increased to some degree since 2007, expenses have risen much more. Capital and grounds improvement costs have increased by 78%, advertising by 56%, entertainment by 56% and utilities by 12%.

“Things were a certain amount then, and they’re so much more now,” Sychra said.

Fair board secretary Brenda Meisenheimer added, “Just the insurance alone was a 47% increase (during that time frame) — and another 4% increase is likely this year.”

To help address rising costs and keep the fair fans love, the fair board has decided to increase gate admission to $15 for ages 13 and up. Gate admission includes the grandstand show and parking inside the fairgrounds. Advance tickets, however, will remain $10. Additionally, they are offering free admission to all kids 12 and under.

Advance tickets will be available at various community locations and online. An online-only flash sale is planned for March, allowing fairgoers to save even more by purchasing presale fair tickets for $8 each (plus convenience and card fees). The last ticket price increase occurred five years ago. Board members emphasized that the increase in admissions is not related to the construction of the new grandstand but rather reflects higher operational costs across the board. The fair board is very thankful for the support of the Adair County Supervisors throughout the years, but especially this year with the new grandstand project.

Meanwhile, concrete work for the new grandstand is nearing completion. Structural iron is expected to be delivered in March, at which point construction of the grandstand — anticipated to be about 30% larger than the historic structure it replaces — will begin. Remaining work will include a retaining wall, sidewalks, ramps and electrical installation. The grandstand will be covered as the old one was and ramps will improve accessibility for people with disabilities.

Fair board members reiterated their appreciation for all the support they receive and expressed hope for strong attendance at the upcoming soup luncheon and auction.

“We’re thankful for every part of the support we get,” fair board member Doug Wallace said. “You appreciate everything you can get in support from your community because in the end, that’s why we’re here: to support the community.”

“It’s all for the youth — that’s what it comes down to,” Sychra added. “The fair board members volunteer a lot of their time to make this happen year after year.”