Fair Myths Busted

The executive director of the local fair association busted some common myths about the Clay County Agricultural Fair during a recent presentation to the Fleming Island Rotary Club.

Tasha Hyder will oversee her eighth fair in 2023 after becoming the fair association’s executive director in 2016.

The Tennessee native earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of North Florida and served as the director of basketball operations at the university for nearly four years.

Before coming to the fair association, Hyder worked as the events and marketing coordinator for the Town of Orange Park.

Hyder recently graduated from the Institute of Fair Management.

In addition to being recognized as a graduate of the institute during the International Association of Fairs and Expositions annual convention, Hyder also represented the Clay County Fair by taking home 16 awards, including recognitions in agricultural education, marketing, sponsorship and creative arts.

Myth- The fair only operates 9 days a year

Most people are familiar with the fair’s Spring event, which next year opens on March 30 and runs through April 9.

However, Hyder said the association operates year-round, including awarding $35,000 in college scholarships, raising funds for 16 local charities through the sales of painted picnic benches, and participating in supply drives for the Clay Education Foundation, Clay County Animal Services, the Green Cove Springs Food Pantry, Loki’s Lunchbox in Keystone Heights and others.

She added that the fair donates tickets to local nonprofits through its Our Fair Cares account.

“You can hop on our website and request a donation,” she said. So, if you have a silent auction, we’ll send you concert tickets, gate tickets, or a fair package. Whatever you need for your silent auctions, we’re more than happy to help out with that.”

“Last year, we gave out close to 30,000 free tickets to the fair,” she added. “So, if you are a resident of Clay County and you cannot find a free ticket to the fair, there’s something wrong.”

Hyder said that the day before her appearance at the Rotary Club, she went shopping for the fair’s Christmas toy drive in partnership with J.P. Hall Charities.

“We’ve also partnered with the Carlton Foundation to fill the toy closet at Baptist Clay,” she said.

Hyder highlighted the fair’s recent efforts in providing relief to Hurricane Ian victims.

She said her organization sent 12 semi-truck loads of supplies to Southwest Florida after the storm.

“It was hard,” she said. “We worked three weeks nonstop in a warehouse. It was hot, it was sweaty, and luckily, I had a bunch of great volunteers that came and helped.”

Hyder said the fair raised $30,000 during the effort, kicked in an additional $2,000 from its own treasury, and put all the money into supplies for hurricane victims.

Myth- The county operates the fair

The county indeed owns the fairgrounds, but a separate nonprofit with a 13-member board of directors produces the annual event.

“We actually have nothing to do with the county,” Hyder said of her organization. “We’re friends, we’re partners, but outside of that, that’s it. All the exhibit buildings, the midway, the livestock barn, that’s all county-owned. We rent that from them.”

Myth- The fair is funded by the county

While the fair does receive around $45,000 a year in support from the county’s tourist development council, that amount only represents around two percent of the fair’s annual receipts.

Hyder added that the grant is reimbursable, meaning that to receive the TDC funding, the fair association must first spend its own money, then request a reimbursement from the tourist council.

Myth- The fair employs dozens of full-time workers

Hyder said the fair association has three full-time workers and employees one part-timer.

Over 1,000 volunteers carry out the bulk of the work done every year at the fair.

“People are shocked about that,” said Hyder.

She added that the fair association’s workload is seasonal, like a school.  

“Like teachers, in the summer, it’s slow,” she said.  “We don’t really do too much. Then comes August, and we get going.”

Hyder added that planning and recruiting entertainment for the fair is a year-round endeavor.

Myth- Midway workers have little impact on the local economy

Hyder said another misconception is that midway workers come and go with little or no impact on the local economy.

“The midway is where the rides are,” she said. “A lot of people think they just come in and they leave. That’s not true. The midway brings 30-plus jobs. They shop at our stores; they buy groceries. They don’t eat fair food for the three weeks that they are here. They make doctor’s appointments.”

Hyder added that fair workers usually buy at least one car yearly from Garber Auto Mall in Green Cove Springs.

She said that the same goes for food vendors.

“They’re on the fair circuit,” she said, “they have to buy groceries, they have to buy parts for their concession stands, “so they’re buying locally. We’re bringing money into the county.”

Myth- The fair’s attendance is declining

Hyder said that while many fairs are seeing a decline in attendance, that is not true for Clay County’s event.

 “On a good year, depending on weather, we bring in 45,000 people,” Hyder said, “and that number is growing. We are one of the few fairs in the nation that is seeing growth in our fair.”

Hyder added that about one-half of fair attendees come from out of the county.

Myth- The fair makes millions of dollars

Hyder said it is true that the fair grosses around $2 million a year, but almost all of the funds are invested back into operations.

Last year the fair association cleared around $200,000.

“That’s okay,” she said. “As long as we’re not in the red, we consider that a win.”

Hyder said the fair association has a healthy reserve which came in handy when the organization had to cancel the fair for the first time in its 34-year history in 2020 due to the COVD-19 Pandemic.

She added that the fair uses its reserve for capital improvements and to upgrade its entertainment offerings.