Clarion Autumn Leaf Festival

CCRTA Learns of Economic Benefits of Clearfield County Fair

CLEARFIELD – Board members of the Clearfield County Recreation and Tourism Authority on Wednesday learned of the economic benefits of the Clearfield County Fair with this year’s week-long event just two months away.

Each year, 100,000 attendees pass through the gates of the Clearfield fairgrounds. Fifty percent of ticket sales for its grandstand entertainment come from outside the county, according to Dave Franson II, president of the fair and park board.

Franson said that the remaining 50 percent comes from people residing within Clearfield County. However, only 8 percent of grandstand ticket purchases come from within Clearfield’s zip code – 16830.

A few years ago, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and Penn State studied the economic impact of county fairs. It found that the Clearfield fair generated $1.6 million in revenue for the county, Franson said.

He said the study additionally found that $3.2 million was generated for the surrounding area. He pointed out that it has resulted in approximately 1,000 overnight stays at local hoteliers during fair week.

But this year, fair officials have bumped into some problems booking its celebrity entertainment, while hotels are filled with guests staying and working locally because of the influx in natural gas drilling.

“It’s been hard to book the artists. They want to stay right here in town. We have people going to DuBois to book rooms,” Franson said. “It’s not a big deal, and actually, it’s a nice problem for us to have.”

According to him, the future of the fair is “stable,” and it can be evidenced in admission prices, which haven’t been raised in two years. He said the Clearfield fair ranks as about the fourth largest statewide behind Bloomsburg, York and Allentown and ranks closely with the McKean fair.

“A lot of people are staying here, and they’re using (the fair) as their vacation. People plan their whole year around the fair. Think about it, if you grew up in Clearfield or anywhere around here, when is your class reunion? It’s either the Saturday before or the Saturday after the fair because everyone is here.”

The 151 fair has been set for Monday, Aug. 1 through Saturday, Aug. 6 and will feature some novelties for its attendees.

Bill Medley of the Righteous Brothers will entertain at the grandstand Tuesday night; Trace Adkins and Kelly Pickler Wednesday night; and the Full Pull Productions Truck ‘n Tractor Pull Thursday night.

Globewatcher...: Clarion Autumn Leaf Festival - Auto Show

I have a degree in biology and recently graduated with a Masters of Education. I have been freelance writing for two years as a hobby. As a parent I am interested in great tasting and healthy cooking; maintaining a beautiful home and instilling a sense of pride in my children. My area of interests are in science and environmental issues and a variety of other interests and a loving husband who puts up with them.

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