This article was published on June 22, 2006. It addresses some of the issues raised by Con, Ron and Ken. See the comments from 5 years ago.
Spam Contest Loser said “If half the population of Woodstock goes to the fair just once, this means that 98.5% of the attendees are from somewhere else. Is this good for Woodstock? Remember, the Fair toilets flush in Woodstock.”
“The Town of Woodstock receives nothing for this lost weekend of ‘fun’.”
We are about two months away from the annual Woodstock Fair. I have to say that there is something intangibly nice about having a fair in town. As a kid I would live for the late summer day when my hometown fair would open for a few days. That was a small fair to help fund the local church. Nevertheless, it was a magical event for a kid. When we lived in the South, I would take my kids to the county fair which was about a tenth the size of the Woodstock Fair and we always enjoyed spending a few days there seeing the animals, using the rides, and having meals. These were easily affordable fairs and the emphasis was on community gathering and the farmers’ contributions, but, of course, the kids were dazzled by the carnival atmosphere.
As a family we attended the Woodstock Fair for two years after moving to Woodstock. After those first two years, we had had enough. It was like eating too much of one thing and then getting sick. When this happens, it takes a long time before you recover and want the same thing again. Last year after many years of disinterest, I returned to the Fair with some guests. With some degree of embarrassment I was quickly reminded about what I did not like about the Woodstock Fair - that bad taste came back after perhaps about an hour of strolling around with my friends. It hits you rather quickly because of the densely packed tents and stores crammed with cheap carnie ware and not-so-cheap trinkets. Yes, the animals and their events are fun, but there is little space to stand comfortably and watch the animal contests especially if you are short in stature. The farm animals seem to be viewed by the managers of the Fair as just a side-light of the whole party taking up a very low percentage of the ground space compared to the uncountable vendor booths and food stands, and of course the rides and carnie booths to the east.
The worst part of all of this is the cost. After paying between $15 and $30 just to park the car and enter the fairgrounds as a couple, it is difficult to avoid spending another $20 to $40 on food, drinks and a few trinkets for two in one day. This is probably a gross underestimate of the average spending for most who enter the fairgrounds, especially for the kids who enjoy going on all the rides. For those who return for 3 more days, the total bill is likely to be in the neighborhood of $100 to $200 per individual, or much more.
In 2004, the number of people attending the Fair for all four days was 260,000. If 250,000 attendees averaged $40 in costs per day, then gross revenues for the Fair and all of the vendors including those selling parking outside of the fairgrounds would be about $10,000,000. Of course, I could be off in this estimate, but the order of magnitude is probably correct.
A few days ago a comment was left by ‘Prudent Spender’ (but not one of them, e.g. CPS’ers) who identified an Internet source of the tax returns for all non-profit organizations around the country ( www.Guidestar.org The Woodstock Agricultural Society). I was able to download the 2004 tax return for the Woodstock Agricultural Society (WAS), the non-profit company that sponsors the Woodstock Fair. The total revenues declared for the WAS in 2004 was $1,495,535 and total expenses were $1,261,625 leaving a profit for the year of $233,910. This net income was added to other fund balances and assets of $2,265,292 to give total net assests or fund balances of $2,499,202 at the end of 2004. Of these assets, $1,052,288 represents $142,628 in cash and $909,660 in savings and cash investments. If the estimate of total revenues based upon $40 per visitor is a good estimate, then $8.5 million must have gone to vendors. I could be off - maybe there was only $4 million left in the hands of vendors – or maybe $12 million. Whatever this number might be, it is very large compared to the revenues declared by the WAS.
On this tax return the expenses for many individual line items (mostly Fair expenses) are neatly itemized. But these expenses pale next to the realization that the WAS earns several hundred thousand dollars each year, floats over a million dollars in cash assets each year, and the vendors (mostly for-profit vendors) walk away with between $4 and $12 million each year.
The Town of Woodstock receives nothing for this lost weekend of ‘fun’. My cats dodge the constant stream of cars in front of our property, I pick up the trash deposited on our front lawn, and the roads and infrastructure of the Town are held hostage so that a handful of people can cash in.
You would think that at least the WAS would give Woodstock citizens a break in the admission fee, or better yet show some philanthropy toward the Town.
No smileys here. 
The fair, although its not what they say in their government filing for tax exempt status, has morphed over the years from the quaint local agricultural event it used to be(“an ag demonstration with home baked goods, sewing, canning, vegetables are judged and displayed) to a very large regional carnival involving millions of dollars in cash transactions with no receipts or cash registers used. Form 990 or not, they are all largely tax exempt, if you know what I mean.
The Agricultural Society Form 990 was interesting to me because even the listed expenses are very vague.$41,000 for management fees? $162,000 for contracted services? $10,500 for gratuities? Who are the individuals receiving this? And what is the Fair sitting on all that cash for?
Yes, its an abuse that this continues to be a tax exempt event and that it gives so little (not nothing, but relatively little) back to the community. Its the one natural resource we have in Woodstock, so it belongs to the residents who put up with it, and we should mine it to support our schools and services. To cut our schools the way we just did while letting this go on is unconscionable.
You would think. It’s been evident over the last few years that the fair has no interest in having local companies at the fair. Don’t forget the fair also charges vendors around $700 for a space. Aside from admission most money spent at the fair does go towards to the vendors buying the spaces.
What I dislike most about the fair is that it’s practically the same every year. Each vendor is in the same location and you walk around feeling you have seen it all before because everything is the same except that all of the prices have gone up.
Renting the space is just the first cost. You pay for the insurance, electrical fees,health permit tent size, etc. If you’re a non-profit you pay less. There is no break given to Woodstock citizens or business. If that were done, at least it could be said that the Fair stimulates the local economy. Money goes to the exhibiting farms in large lumps for exhibits and contest awards.
If half the population of Woodstock goes to the fair just once, this means that 98.5% of the attendees are from somewhere else. Is this good for Woodstock? Remember, the Fair toilets flush in Woodstock.
Why don’t we petition the attorney general to investigate the Fair, and see if it is indeed fair? How about a petition to our selectmen who either hide from the real issues, or have fair backing, to initiate a legal investigation. For years the republican party bosses dominated both political groups to keep everyone from questioning if this was actual Fair game. My math is fairly good, and translates into probably 260,000 visitors spending $200 average which then equals a $52 Million total revenue generator. Where is Woodstock’s Fair due? Just $8,000 worth of scholarships just doesn’t seem fair enough. How much of the Fire Department resources are necessary due to this one time event? How about the sewage system? There is a lot of shit to be uncovered here. It would be interesting to see how many people included the cash they made(parking, gratuities each year into their state & federal tax returns? Think if the feds get involved, we could see an entire prison wing with Woodstock citizens? I can see “Martha Stewart” type book opportunities rolling in afterwards, with NY Times best seller titles such as “Was it Really Fair?” “Busted Pumpkins: Our Fair Share” & “A Fair Education” Hey Admin- how about a survey feature (electronic petition) on this website?
Nameless, The Cafe would not author a petition. This is not the role of the Cafe. Instead, the Cafe would support debate about such a petition and present opinions. Individuals who write at the Cafe about their opinions can be on either side of the issue.
I agree with what you have said and proposed above regardless of whether the for-profit take home pay is $8 million or $200 million. You would think that Mike Alberts would take the lead on this. It’s my guess that a significant voting majority in Woodstock would be in favor of this investigation. Mr. Alberts, or his replacement, would be the most appropriate individual to approach the Attorney General with petition in hand. My limited impression of Mr. Alberts is that he would not take on any controversial issue – he’s afraid to rock anyone’s boat (I mean vote). He seems more comfortable speaking to fourth graders.
Any petition could request investigation of the for-profit business activities of the Fair AND whether the Town of Woodstock should be compensated for damages to the Town.
The for-profit activity that takes place at the Fair is ‘big business.’ Yet these vendors and businesses do not pay taxes to the Town of Woodstock. Instead, these businesses operate in Woodstock under the umbrella of a non-profit organization called the Woodstock Agricultural Society. They may pay taxes elsewhere, but not to Woodstock. Yet Woodstock provides the roads, deals with the inconveniences, trash, environment burdens, liabilities, etc. Also, many Woodstockians must wonder about how the income is handled from the Miller and Young’s parking lots. Is the WAS renting their properties, or are these Farms pocketing the money themselves even though they are officers and/or key members of the WAS? Either way it’s a ‘cash cow’.
Not to rain on the author’s parade (or perhaps Fair in this case), but you’ve got some facts wrong that need to be clarified. I also took a look at the tax return, and WAS does not have $2,499,202 of cash. That is a their total net assets, as per the description on Line 21 of Page 1. They actually have $142,628 in cash (Page 3, Line 45) and $909,660 in savings and temporary cash investments, probably CD’s (Page 3, Line 46). The lion share of the remaining assets are land, buildings and equipment with a net value of $1,854,921 (P3, L57b) which represents a gross amount of $3,123,356 less, $1,268,435 of accumulated depreciation.
And to namelessblameless, I would really question that $200/visitor figure you throw out so cavalierly. Are you telling me that every family of 4 is going to spend $800 on average at the fair, or are you trying to factor in that someone may buy a hottub or gazebo from local businesses that set-up shop? As someone who has attended the fair in the past, I struggle to get to the $40/person charge, if you exclude parking, never mind $200.
It’s easy to throw out useless numbers and then make it sound like WAS and the vendors at the Fair are making out like bandits when no one holds you accountable. I’d be interested in how you arrive at your figure. Here’s a quick and dirty calculation, and by the way, my math is excellent.
For discussion purposes, let’s say I attend the fair as a family of 4. We all come in one vehicle, but I’ve got visitor written on my face, so I pay $20 to park. We pay $40 to get into the fair. We’re hungry and thirsty from our drive, so we immediately get snacks & drinks, and I drop $30. Then the kids want to go on the rides. I’m sure there’s some sort all day ride pass, and let’s say it’s also a rip-off and a pay $40/person, or $160 in total for the 4 of us. However, we need break in betweeen rides so we play the various midway games, which are all a rip-off, and we drop another $100 (ah, a life where money is no object) to win $5 in stuffed animals that will be in the trash next year. So far I’m at $350 for my family of 4. Now unlike many visitors, we’re there all day, so we’re eating a healthy lunch and dinner from all the selections. Let’s say lunch costs me $60, and dinner’s $80 because we have endless pits in our stomach and want dessert as well. And in between lunch and dinner, and then later in the evening we want more snacks so there’s two more $30 hits. So adding in another $200 (60+80+30+30), I’ve spend $550 for my family. That means I’ve got another $250 left to spend on various offerings from vendors in the two large tent areas and sprinkled across the Fair, when I’m not shoving food down my throat and trying to get the most out of my $40 all-day ride pass. So is $200/person possible? Certainly. Is it remotely reasonable that every family of 4 would spend that? Not in my opinion, but again, that’s my opinion.
Finally, I’m not a member of the Agricultural Society, nor do I have any connection to anyone associated with the Fair (vendor, etc.). I’ve got no axe to grind with either the author of the article nor namelessblameless. But if this is to be a forum for discussion on various topics, we owe it to ourselves and other readers to ensure that the facts we quote and use are accurate, or at least we’ve got a basis for our estimates. I welcome any comments, and personally, I do think WAS should give back a bit more to the community for particularly when they make an almost 16% profit on the Fair ($233,910 on $1,495,535 in revenue).
FC, out.
Okay Fact Checker
What we all agree on and is a FACT, seems to be that the FAIR could contribute more to Woodstock. Regardless of all the numbers offered, the money is significant, and the FACT is someone in an authoritive position should be looking at all these issues. No one seemes to want to really address this issue, but it certainly would be interesting to have the state & federal government review in depth- revenues, costs, taxes-payroll, corporate,sales, and if everything is 95% correct- then this conversation can end, and the FACTS will be known. If $1/fair attendee goes to Woodstock- our revenues increase by $260,000, $2- $520,000. It is really simple Math to see how the Town of Woodstock could benefit!
Good for you Fact Checker. I am really sick of the “Comings and Goings” type of statements heard by the undeducated, the ignorant and the cheap around this selfish town………people should be ashamed of themselves.
Fact Checker, Thanks for your input which is appreciated. I was loose with the word “cash” and you are so right to point this out. Having made the changes that are described in the block quote, I then re-read this article. These changes do not change the message of the article at all.
It was also amusing to read your description of the bingeing required to achieve Nameless’s goal of spending. But, I still think $40 per visitor on average is not an unreasonable number, yet if it’s half that number it’s still BIG FOR-PROFIT BUSINESS as the article mentions.
If it’s not $8 million and turns out to be $4 million (I prefer the $8 million number) then some of this money should go towards the ‘costs’ that Woodstock incurs. I would like to see a legal opinion on the business of the Fair and financial analysis of the costs and inconveniences incurred by Woodstock and its citizens.
Sandra, I don’t read Comings and Goings for the same reason that you don’t like it. And, no one goes to their web site for the same reason. After reading my comment here, you might want to re-read the article and re-think what I have said before jumping on Fact Checker’s bandwagon. But, Fact Checker (good with math), NamelessBlameless (Fair Bingeer), and I (Loose with words) all seem to agree that it would be good, in principle, if the Fair gave something back to the Town.
All this rain is driving me crazy, so i am re-reading this site again. Obviously Fact Checker doesn’t participate in the “thrill rides”, but the carnaval charges 3-4 ticket PER RIDE @$0.75/ticket which works out to be $2.25-$3.00/RIDE, with maybe 2-3 tickets/ride for the under 7 age venues. Only Friday does the Fair offer unlimited rides (only morning or night per wrist band) for approximately $20 each. So, 10 rides at$3.00/ride for a family of 4 ( even the ferris wheel is 4 tickets!) is $120. Talk to the many “outsiders” who travel to Woodstock-these folks definitely drop some cash.
Sandra-who you be calling “undeducated”? Is Fact Checker adding up the fees paid by the exhibitors, their “special” Woodstock Fair Insurance, the premium paid for ice, water, electric? No, I don’t think so. It doesn’t take a Post Hole Digger (Pk.D) degree to understand something doesn’t add up. How about the “other” fees the Fair collects from the Medeval Show or other “activities” held at the Fair? Wonder if they collect from the American Cancer Relay for Life, or at a minimum, reduce their operating profit by deducting “the premium” the Relay should have paid? Come to think of it, the reduction in education may simply be a “grand plan” to create a “pool of ready & able workers” to support the fair’s need of “carnies”? Now that “line of thought” Sandra can be continued in the next version of “Coming & Goings”!
The costs are many but just try to quantify the horrible traffic alone for four days. If 2,000 Woodstock adults waste an extra 15 minutes per fair day in traffic at actual car and opportunity driver cost of, say, $25/hour then thats $50,000 in costs to the community right there. And for those of us with the misfortune to live near the Fair or Rt.171, 15 minutes is conservative.
None of this possible additional money from the Fair profits matters with our present Board of Finance. Spend nothing. Money “found” or generated means nothing. SPEND NOTHING. Understand things only on the simplest level. Let the Agricultural Society “do their thing” ’cause it’s better than having McDonalds or a Walmart or a development down there. We have plenty of money each year for pet projects and little treats, and if we need a State Policeman, or money for anything else, we’ll just give the school system even less- again and again. Nothings wrong- or, nothing that in our simplicity we could possibly understand.
Hey Prudent,
Good point! just last year…a Fair idiot pulled right out into my vehicle while turning left from 169 coming from the south. Luckily, it only crushed his bumper on my right rear truck wheel. “He didn’t see me”…and the Fair traffic people had not yet been positioned (this was early Saturday morning) It is hard to believe the Town cannot get each Fair goer to give an extra “dollar” to the town- most actually think Woodstock benefits from the gate! Wouldn’t they be surprised and disappointed! Maybe we should have the school children- dressed in rags- begging for $1- outside the gate, “Mister, would you be so kind to help us get a band teacher, or spice academics or sports?” hmmmmmm…”NO you little bastards, if I give you $1, I will have to skip 1/2 a fried dough, or a buy only a small portion of greasy french fries, or purcahse one less ride ticket- which come to think of it-gets you NOTHING. I think the PTA should organize groups of our children to beg for money. Wouldn’t that be a nice visual?
Folks…. I think everyone will concede that the Fair is a pain in the butt for those who are trying to get through the area over that weekend and it’s a cash cow for a lot of out of town and out of state undesirables who enjoy a cash-based income.
However, it is not without some benefits to the town. First, it’s one of the few things that gets any attention for the town (cuts both ways, I know) other than an occasional crime or plane crash.
Second, some local organizations rely on income from their booth at the fair to operate during the year. How many fire departments, granges, Academy groups, etc. do you see at the fair trying to get a little cash for their local activities.
Next, one year’s income tax return does not always tell the whole story. Has this nest egg been in place for a long time? Is it being reserved for some much needed capital improvements or anticipated spike in energy or insurance costs? Was it the result of a bequest or some other extraordinary source? Does it still provide local students with some of the largest cash scholarships awarded at the Academy?
The Fair is an “institution” which only means that it has been around for a long time. It doesn’t mean that it should not be criticized or scrutinized or improved. But it shouldn’t necessarily be viewed as the root of all evil or yet another aspect of the grand conspiracy that many in town seem to want to blame for everything.
Full disclosure – yes, I am a life member of the WAS.
1. I would like to see the Ag Society give MUCH MUCH MORE back to the town from the fair. They should do everything they can to help non-profits that are desperately trying to boslter their funding (e.g., free booths if they don’t already get them, primo spots, reduce competition from generic venders – do we REALLY need so many french fry sellers?, etc., allowing them to sell their OWN goods in any buildings) and local businesses.
2. Also more $ in scholarships for local students.
3. Finally, I’d also like to see the fair return to its roots – now it seems like about 95% is generic crap that could be found at any fair in any town.
Hey Verumi- As long as you are attempting to problem solve, I wonder if you can comment on why the “contingency fund” in the general government budget has had $46, 000.00 added to it? From what I understand- this employees “union” for Town hall has only 6 people in it. Seems like an awful lot of salary increase for 6 people – in one year-within this lean budgetary atmosphere and “under the contraints of prop 46″. (page 16- general government budget).
This is exactly what I expected to find out after reading the title The Woodstock Fair. Thanks for informative article
Who takes the cash for the parking? The Church? The Farmers? You, the home owners with the large lawns? This is big profit stuff. Who gets it? People from Woodstock, yes? What about those who have their lovely yard sales during this time? These yard sales cause more traffic jams than the people trying to find a place to park.
I live in a near by town and I LOVE the Woodstock Fair. It happens once a year. Whupie. My daughter loves the fair. Yes, it is repetitive… vendors, food, rides, but it’s a fair. I get hot and sweaty and dusty and stomach aches from the fair food, but I can’t wait for this annual event. It reminds me of a good old fashioned fair, tacky or not. So, all you Woodstockians, deal with it. Swallow your pride. Don’t be so pompish. You can deal with this very long weekend. Life does go on. If it’s so rotten for you, perhaps a new neighborhood would best suit you.