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Board presidents discuss financial differences

Occurring on back-to-back weeks in September, the Coffee County Fair and Warren County A & L Fair continue to provide both entertainment, competition and fundraising opportunities for their respective communities, but Fair Board leaders say it is not easy to compare one with the other.

Coffee County Fair President Stewart Little said he sees some Coffee County residents complaining about the admission cost to the fair, comparing it to its free counterpart in Warren County.

“Warren County has a great fair,” Little said. “They are a great agricultural fair, but the thing about it is we have to charge because we are a nonprofit entity, we are not county owned.”

Little said the Coffee County Fair Board is made up of all volunteers, and it takes at least 60 volunteers to make the fair happen each year.

While the Coffee County Fair does not receive any financial assistance from the Coffee County or Manchester City Governments, Warren County A & L Fair President Reagan Kelsey said they are set up differently than Coffee County and do receive funding from the county.

“We are set up as a nonprofit organization, so we receive funding through the county’s nonprofit appropriations committee,” he said.

Kelsey said the money received from Warren County to benefit the fair can only be used for permanent or capital improvement projects to the grounds, which are county owned.

The amount of money received from the county varies, but is typically less than 10% of the Fair Board’s total budget.

Kelsey said the Warren County A & L Fair is a bit of an anomaly in the state of Tennessee, as it was specifically chartered in 1954 as a free fair.

“It was set up as a free fair and if we ever had to charge then the association would have to dissolve and something different would have to be done,” he said. “Just over the years, through pretty good management on the part of the fair board a little help from the county, the community and our sponsors we have always been able to keep it free.”

Little said prices vary, depending on the events being offered at the Coffee County Fair on a particular day, but the most expensive gate fee is $10. That day sees a host of paid acts performing at the center ring grandstand area.

“The way I see the fair, it is no different than supporting the baseball league for your kids,” he said. It is for your kids, even though it costs money it costs money to play ball.”

The board said their biggest expenses each year are maintenance and improvements, premiums for exhibits, utilities, and insurance. The estimated combined cost of these expenses is nearly $130,000 per year.

The Coffee County Fair also gives an agriculture scholarship of $2000 and Fairest of the Fair scholarship of $1000 each year.

Little said the Coffee County Fair charges a gate fee to cover the cost of improvements, entertainment and growing the fair and its offerings each year.

“Just to improve our fair to make it a better fair each year so there is something for everyone,” Little said.

While there are paid parking lots at the Coffee County Fair, there is always a free unpaved lot.

“What I always tell someone that has a complaint about the gate fee, come volunteer,” Little said. “If you don’t like the way things are, then come here and volunteer and change it, but the thing is you turn around and they are gone.”

Kelsey said that to his knowledge, the Warren County A & L Fair is currently the only free fair in Tennessee.

“It is kind of unfair to compare Coffee County to us,” he said. “It is kind of unfair to compare Putnam County to us. We are doing something that nobody else in the state of Tennessee is doing. In large part that is due to the people and the Fair Board.”

“Go to the Wilson County/ State Fair, pay to park there and then pay to get in and then see if you don’t like your little hometown county fair just a little bit better,” Kelsey added.