Yes yes, we dressed up as a mutant ear of corn and we milked a goat with our bare hands at the Orange County Fair.
But we haven’t gone completely soft!
We warned you that we’d be looking at the Fair’s finances — and we’re here to tell you that it’s raking in the dough, thank you very much.
The Fair had almost enough green on hand last year to pay for an entire year’s operations without taking in another penny ($54 million in cash and cash equivalents, while operating expenses were $55.8 million), according to a recent audit.
Why so much? Board policy requires a minimum of 25% reserves, spokeswoman Terry Moore told us, and the Fair “pre-funds” all of its construction projects “to ensure we have adequate funds to continue to reinvest in the property.”
That’s swell if you have gobs of money. But you and me and many other governmental agencies usually borrow to fund expensive projects and then repay those loans over time.
Many narrowly-focused, little governments, though, manage to accumulate staggering amounts of cash (the Inland Empire Health Plan had cash investments of almost $1.7 billion; the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, $3.3 billion; the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, $1.4 billion; and so on, according to data from the State Controller), so they often pay-as-they-go.
Critics suggest this means the agencies are simply taking in too much money and should give We the People a break already. The agencies argue that the money is necessary to fund their missions and keep vital public infrastructure in tip-top shape.
You, dear readers, elect the folks who make these decisions (or, in the case of the Fair board, you elect the person who appoints the folks who make these decisions. i.e., the governor). The Fair is building a new web page to increase transparency, Moore said, and we’re looking forward to poking around. You should, too.
Money in
The Fair’s cozy cushion can make recent hikes in admission and parking prices as hard to swallow as a stick of fried butter.
Remember when Fair parking was $5, in 2009 (that’s $7.55 in today’s dollars)? Over the years the parking fee rose to $7, then $10, then $12, then $15. That explains why the Fair’s revenue from parking surged nearly 28% (to $7.2 million) between 2023 and 2024.
Admission prices also have risen over the past few years — varying by day of the week, with price breaks for the old and the young. But, counterintuitively, admission revenue dropped nearly 17% between 2023 and 2024 (to $10.9 million). This requires some explaining, and is intimately related to the haul from fair-time attractions — think concerts and shows — which skyrocketed 65% over the same period, to $16 million.
“The biggest reason for this difference has to do with the way we report admissions revenue,” Moore said by email. “Each fair-time concert ticket, regardless of venue (Pacific Amphitheatre, The Hangar or Action Sports Arena) includes admission to the Fair. Prior to 2024, the cost of admission was calculated per ticket, and allocated to Admissions revenue, with the remaining amount allocated to Attractions…. Beginning in 2024, all concert revenue was allocated to Attractions.”
There were also more shows in 2024 (37) than there were in 2023 (30), she said. Rock on.
We’ve warned you before not to be fooled by the candied bacon pork belly bites, or the bacon cotton candy, or the cheddar bacon donuts. Bacon aside, fairs are very big business.
They get a cut of what you pay for all those sweet and savory goodies as you stalk the grounds. Concession revenue rose a handsome 11.6% over the year (to almost $12 million), and after our $24 chicken-and-rice dish, we suspect much of it came from our very own pocket. (Thanks to Moore for recommending the $5 Taste of Fair menu, which can save tons of dollars and calories by dishing out smaller samples. That menu ends at 4 p.m., though, so chow down early.)
The Fair’s rides and midway — from thrillers like Aviator to kiddie pleasers like Frog Hop to game booths like Lucky Ducks — continue to attract the faithful. Carnival revenue rose 10.8% over the year (to $7.8 million), and my great Fair regret is that I failed to use up the full $50 of ride tickets I purchased.
There was an increase in ridership and gameplay on the midway, and in food sales, Moore said, and the $5 Taste of Fair proved popular.
And those of you who entered contests — by knitting or baking or raising livestock — also did your own wee part to boost the Fair’s bottom line. Entry fees for some contest categories rose (culinary contest entries, for instance, went from $3 to $6 for kids, and from $5 to $10 for adults, almost doubling revenue to $13,810); while visual arts entries doubled for youth and rose 50% for adults ($3 to $6 for kids and $10 to $15 for adults, for revenue of $62,100).
The Fair continues to increase the number of categories and competitions post-pandemic, Moore said. We saw many cool table settings and some lovely knitting.
All told, the Fair’s operating revenue was up 15.6%, while operating expenses were up 14.2%.
Money out
There was a time when maintenance consumed the largest slice of the Fair’s spending pie. These days, however, that distinction goes to administration.
In 2014, the Fair spent less than 20% on administration, and nearly 35% on maintenance.
Last year, it spent almost 41% on administration, and 13% on maintenance.
After administration, entertainment was the biggest spending category last year, up 10.3% (to $7.7 million) from 2023. Given the revenue those shows brought in, it seems a solid investment.
Professional services were the next largest category, up 6% (to $7.7 million) from the prior year.
Publicity spending rose 13% last year, to $1.7 million. But, given inflation, that’s less than the $2.1 million the Fair spent on tooting its own horn in 2014 — and evidence, perhaps, of why legacy media is struggling and why Moore, once an editor at this very publication, jumped ship.
Separate from its operating budget, the Fair’s “capital projects in process” rose from $25 million to $41 million over the year. Those included the expanded administration building that will house most staffers who aren’t assigned to farm, maintenance, security, etc., Moore said. Also, work began on the Fair’s campground and midway restrooms.
Take a look at the Fair’s 2025-2029 strategic plan at https://bit.ly/3WI7Ote, and its Master Site Plan, with details (and pretty pictures) on some $229 million of improvements and upgrades, at https://bit.ly/3LspMxl.
Transparency
Kudos to the Orange County Fair for submitting its pay data to the State Controller’s office. The Del Mar Fair does not. As a matter of fact, there are more than 50 active fairs under the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s umbrella, but fewer than half are transparent enough to provide this public data to for the Controller’s database. Shame on them!
Transparency is why we can tell you that Fair top dog Michele Richards had total wages of $248,240 in 2024, and total retirement and health benefits of $56,378. It’s harder to compare that to other fairs though, because, well, see above, but we’re working on getting that data.
The Fair is generally cheaper than a day at Disneyland, minus the princesses but plus the cows and piglets and goats and sheep. The Fair’s proper name is the 32nd District Agricultural Association, and it exists “to exhibit the industries and industrial enterprises, resources and products of every kind or nature of the state, with a view toward improving, exploiting, encouraging and stimulating them,” and “to construct, maintain and operate recreational and cultural facilities of general public interest in Orange County.”
Those ag days are very far behind us, but folks clearly are nostalgic for them. There has been controversy over the Fair’s spending, and over the Fair’s revamp of the horse stables, and who gets free tickets and fancy dinners, well-covered by our friends at Voice of OC. The Fair’s Financial Monitoring and Audit Committee will hold a budget study session at 2 p.m. Nov. 13, both in person and on Zoom. Details are at https://bit.ly/47GLAN8. This is a democracy, remember, and if you want input, participate.