Indiana State Fair revenues fell below expectations, the State Fair Board announced Thursday. The Fair budgeted for a $600,000 profit, but it only made about $500,000.
The State Fair took a significant hit at its major concerts. In the wake of last year’s stage collapse, the State Fair moved its biggest concerts to Banker’s Life Fieldhouse in downtown Indianapolis.
State Fair executive director Cindy Hoye says the downtown concerts did not work and will not happen again next year.
“Our customers want to be here,” she says. “They didn’t understand the whole idea, it didn’t work, and so we’re bringing back some, what I say, some headline entertainment – for free – on the free stage.”
Attendance at the 2012 State Fair was 854,000, 2 percent less than expected. The president of the State Fair Board says he thinks that had more to do with the 90 degree and above temperatures and rain, than the lack of big concerts on the grounds.
