Fair to be held with help from the community
Members of the Tuscarawas County Agricultural Society announced plans to hold a full fair this year, but it is going to take the help of the community in several ways.
The 171st Tuscarawas County Fair will be held Sept. 20-26. Although details may be altered, they plan to include junior and senior fair shows, concessions, rides, and entertainment.
The public is asked to remain patient as the members of the fair board will once again be tasked with creating a plan that works in the best interest of the health and safety of the community while giving 4-Hers, FFA, businesses and residents an opportunity to enjoy all the fair has to offer.
“We are going to try to run a full fair, as normal, but there will probably be some new regulations. We are waiting for whatever comes down from the state to see what we can do,” said Dave Miller, a member of the agricultural society board.
Fundraisers are planned, and sponsorships for the 2021 fair are now open.
“Dover Hydraulics is our grand champion sponsor again,” said Jonna Cronebaugh, marketing consultant for the agricultural society. “There are still many opportunities available to sponsor events and the junior and senior fair shows.”
Packages begin at $300. Many sponsorships include fair book ads (deadline May 24), website and social-media promotions, banners hung at the fair and more. For additional information or questions about sponsorship opportunities, email Cronebaugh at jonna@mcsprintsource.co or call or text 330-243-6373. Information also is available online.
The fundraisers planned for 2021 are a chicken barbecue and a gun raffle, both to be held May 22. Proceeds will benefit the general fund of the Tuscarawas County Agricultural Society for upkeep of the fair grounds.
The chicken barbecue will be held as a drive-thru at the Tuscarawas County Fairgrounds from 10 a.m. through 1 p.m. or until sold out. The cost is $7 per half or $25 for a family four-pack.
Pre-orders were taken until May 13, but additional limited quantities will be available at the event. Call or text Miller at 330-340-2720 for more information.
Gun raffle tickets are available from any agricultural society board member. Ten guns will be raffled off with a limit of 1,000 tickets sold. Every ticket is a chance to win as participants are not eliminated if they win. Tickets are $25 each or five for $100. Participants must be 21 years old to enter and be able to pass a background check. Winners will be chosen Saturday, May 22 during the chicken barbecue, and they need not be present to win.
Guns include a Thompson Center Encore (45-70, 460, 500) Leupold VX Freedom 3-9 X 40 Scope with rings and mounts, 57605 Savage Renegauge 12GA 26-inch Camo, CVA Cascade Camo (any available caliber), CVA 06350 1012 12GA Walnut Stock, CVA Scout V2 CK48065 45-70 Stainless, Ruger 6973 American 6.5 Creedmoor Predator, Traditions Buckstalker Camo/Cerakote 50 CAL Scope R572110847C, Savage A17 Laminated Wood Stock, Ruger American Ranch Rifle 350 LGD 26981 and a Winchester 5x4 12GA 28-inch FDE/Camo Hybrid. For tickets or information call Tyrone Brannon at 330-771-7182.
After the pandemic hit, the fair board members decided to hold fundraisers to help get through the year. Now regular fundraisers to make the agricultural society more self-sufficient will be held yearly.
“I think that the community thinks the fair pays for itself, and it doesn’t. It comes from the community donations that we get and rentals throughout the year for the fairgrounds that we lost last summer,” Miller said.
Utility bills and other expenses including upgrades and repairs that crop up unexpectedly are costs year round.
“With the pandemic last year, it took all the fundraising out of the fairgrounds. Not so much the winter camper and boat storage rental, but people had the Clover Café and the grounds rented, and that got canceled,” Miller said. “It was where a big part of our money came in for the year to cover our costs. That is the reason we pushed through with the barbecue and gun raffle last year to cover that (lost income).”
The two fundraisers will be repeated this year.
“We decided to do it again because we still don’t have the money we need to put on a fair,” Miller said.
Look for some new fundraisers or sponsorships in the works for 2022.
“We’re pushing forward with some other ideas for fundraisers. Hopefully next spring we’ll be able to pull some other things off,” Miller said.
Fairground rentals have been slow to come back this year, although a home and garden show, cattle show, and draft horse sale have been held there so far.
“There is stuff coming and going, but it hasn’t picked up like it has in the past,” Miller said.
Stay up to date on details and schedule of events at www.tusccountyfairgrounds.com and www.facebook.com/tcofair.