A number of readers have responded online and via email to my Olmsted County Fair column, in which I suggested that the fair board might want to consider adding a little variety to the grandstand lineup next year. (This year's lineup consisted entirely of motor sports events — motocross, mud drags, tractor pulls and THREE demolition derbies. Not a single concert or rodeo.)
Contrast that with the lineup at the Freeborn County Fair Grandstand, which includes the Beach Boys, the Gatlin Brothers, Joe Nichols and Jerrod Niemann.
Several readers commented that demo derbies are highly popular, and much more cost effective, than concerts or rodeos because fair organizers don't have to pay a contractor, promotor or band. In other words, they make money.
Today, I got a call from a reader in Austin who commiserated with me over the fact that, like in Olmsted County, the Mower County Fair Board, has focused its entertainment options on "violent" motor sport events such as demolition derbies.
But at least the Mower County Fair, which begins a week from today, offers one event that doesn't feature spewing exhaust — a bull riding competition. Same with Steele County, which also has a bull riding event. This could still be considered "violent," or even inhumane, but at least it's variety.
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Back to the Freeborn County Fair, which gets under way today and runs through Sunday. That fair has a history of providing top-name entertainment acts such as George Jones, the Oak Ridge Boys and others. Why?
Because they've made entertainment a top priority. People travel from all over southern Minnesota, northwestern Iowa and southeastern South Dakota to attend the Freeborn County Fair, primarily because of entertainment. This is how they do it. They charge a $9 fair admittance fee to adults (children 10 and under get in free). That's pretty steep by fair standards, but it gets you into the grandstand event for that evening fee of charge. You can also buy a $36 pass that gets you into the fair all week, including grandstand events.
That model likely wouldn't work in Rochester. Folks here flock to free events — Down by the Riverside Concerts, credit union night at the Honkers, etc. But not so much when it costs more than $5 to get into an event. I won't say we're cheap but ...
Still, it would be nice to see the local fair board offer at least one non-motor sport event during the 2012 fair — preferably a concert with a band more than 12 people outside Rochester have heard of.
