A Goshen College study finds the average family at the Elkhart County Fair this week will spend $132. It's a major event for the County and the fairgrounds. But it may not have the economic impact you would expect.
Admission, food, concerts -- you can expect to spend money when you head out to the Elkhart County fair. But how much of that money stays in Elkhart County?
Goshen College Accounting Professor Michelle Horning and her students studied the economic impact of the Elkhart County fairgrounds. They focused on the two money making events held there -- The fair itself and RV rallies.
"We found that the vast majority of the people who attend the Elkhart County Fair are from Elkhart County. Only 18 percent of people who attend the fair come from outside Elkhart County. And the vast majority of those people are from the surrounding counties," says Horning, "and most of their spending happens inside the fairgrounds. There is very little spending that happens in restaurants and campgrounds."
Still, says Horning, there is definitely a positive impact of having a fairgrounds on the county.
While the study found that the RV rallies had a very large impact on the local community -- about a 2.5 million dollar impact -- the fair's economic impact was harder to measure. That is because the majority of fairgoers are spending their money at the fair, not in restaurants and shops outside the fairgrounds.
"So yeah, there is an economic impact, but indirectly," says Horning, "so if you buy food from a food vendor. You are helping that food vendor business and they might turn around and spend it in the local economy. For sure, there is an impact but it is more indirect."
Horning did find that businesses and vendors who use the fair to advertise do see a major economic benefit.
"We are a general contractor for the outside of the home," says Windmill Acres owner Ken Poling. Poling has had a booth at the fair for 5 years.
"I would say success rates with leads we get from the fair are well over 80 or 90 percent of clients that want to see us. And about 50 percent want to work with us," says Poling.
Poling could tell you the fair has an economic impact, but it may not be something researchers can prove.
The Elkhart County Fair is one of the largest 4-H fairs in the nation attracting more than 300,000 people over the nine day event. While the fair is one of the fairgrounds biggest events, it isn't the only thing that takes place there.
Admission, food, concerts -- you can expect to spend money when you head out to the Elkhart County fair. But how much of that money stays in Elkhart County?
Goshen College Accounting Professor Michelle Horning and her students studied the economic impact of the Elkhart County fairgrounds. They focused on the two money making events held there -- The fair itself and RV rallies.
"We found that the vast majority of the people who attend the Elkhart County Fair are from Elkhart County. Only 18 percent of people who attend the fair come from outside Elkhart County. And the vast majority of those people are from the surrounding counties," says Horning, "and most of their spending happens inside the fairgrounds. There is very little spending that happens in restaurants and campgrounds."
Still, says Horning, there is definitely a positive impact of having a fairgrounds on the county.
While the study found that the RV rallies had a very large impact on the local community -- about a 2.5 million dollar impact -- the fair's economic impact was harder to measure. That is because the majority of fairgoers are spending their money at the fair, not in restaurants and shops outside the fairgrounds.
"So yeah, there is an economic impact, but indirectly," says Horning, "so if you buy food from a food vendor. You are helping that food vendor business and they might turn around and spend it in the local economy. For sure, there is an impact but it is more indirect."
Horning did find that businesses and vendors who use the fair to advertise do see a major economic benefit.
"We are a general contractor for the outside of the home," says Windmill Acres owner Ken Poling. Poling has had a booth at the fair for 5 years.
"I would say success rates with leads we get from the fair are well over 80 or 90 percent of clients that want to see us. And about 50 percent want to work with us," says Poling.
Poling could tell you the fair has an economic impact, but it may not be something researchers can prove.
The Elkhart County Fair is one of the largest 4-H fairs in the nation attracting more than 300,000 people over the nine day event. While the fair is one of the fairgrounds biggest events, it isn't the only thing that takes place there.
