County fair as economic barometer

In hard-hit Elkhart, the annual rite of summer remains a must-see event

Americans will give up a lot in a recession, but the county fair apparently is not high on the list of sacrifices they are willing to make.

Organizers of many fairs and festivals around the country say they’re doing booming business this summer as families pass up expensive out-of-town trips in favor of cheaper ways to have fun.

With hundreds more state, county and arts fairs to come in August and September, it’s impossible to draw final conclusions about whether the fair business will finish up or down for the year, according to the International Association of Fairs and Expositions. But organizers of some fairs that have already come and gone said they did just fine despite the tough economic times.

Evidence of Americans’ love affair with the fair has been on display at the Elkhart County 4-H Fair, which opened Friday and runs through Saturday.

Fairgoers have been lining up outside Nedderman’s Sirloin Tip Steak stand, waiting for the concession’s celebrated beef chunks, mashed potatoes and sautéed mushrooms. A bargain, with a drink, at $11.

“Who cares about the economy? We got steak and taters!” bellowed one man as he joined the end of the line.

This hard-hit community, which has one of the highest unemployment rates in the U.S. at 16.8 percent in June, is deeply loyal to this annual event, billed as the second-largest county fair in the nation. Even though budgets are tight and many fairgoers unemployed, few were willing to pass up what may be their only splurge of the summer.

“We may pay our utilities a little later,” said Howard Mishler, laid off by Monaco Coach last August but taking in the sights with granddaughters Faith and Hope, “but we still bring the kids to the fair.”

Vicki and Bart McGlinsey said they have lived very frugally since she was laid off in January from a printing company that served the RV industry. They have cut every nonessential they can think of, but not the fair.

“Believe it or not, this is the biggest thing we’ve done all year,” said Vicki McGlinsey. “We never go anywhere.”

Reports of similar devotion have been pouring in from many parts of the country, particularly from fairs that have reached out to people who are hurting in the tough economy.

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