RHINELANDER, WI (WSAU-WXPR) — County fairs across the state were subdued last summer due to the pandemic.
This year, they’re back. And many are doing better than ever.
Local county fairs across Northern Wisconsin brought in more people – and more money – than they have in recent years. Tom Barnett is the fair coordinator for Oneida County. “The fair went absolutely fantastic this year. We were thrilled with how it turned out.”
Barnett says 15,000 people attended the Oneida County Fair this year. Typically, he considers a good year to be between 12,000 and 13,000 people.
On top of that, the fair’s profits doubled what it normally makes, which Barnett says will make for an even better fair next year.
So what brought about the surge in interest in county fairs? “People were anxious to get out and do something. Life is short and we need to have as much fun as we can for as long as we can.”
Barnett says county fairs are all about making memories. It’s a tradition he hopes will be around for a long time.
