The Missouri State Fair is, since day-one, an agricultural exposition, according to Mark Wolfe, director of the State Fair. Despite trends in some parts of the country to put a greater focus on entertainment, Wolfe maintains that’s not the case in Missouri.
“We’re here to promote and support the number one industry in our state, and that’s agriculture,” said Wolfe, during an interview with Brownfield Ag News on Thursday on the State Fairgrounds. “We don’t want to miss an opportunity especially to put our youth, those kids that are involved in agriculture, front and center.
But Wolfe also aims for admission to the fair to be a good value. The most significant new parts of the 110th Missouri State Fair are entertainment and livestock exhibits that change every year, said Wolfe.
“You know our first hope is that fairgoers come out, and with the cost of admission, get an opportunity to see those things that they expect to see at the fair and certainly the emphasis there is on our livestock and our ag side,” said Wolfe, “but we try to put an entertainment package together that gives people with all likes something to see at the fair and I hope that we work on that every year and do a good job with it.”
In addition to ticketed events, Wolfe says about $250,000 is invested annually on entertainment that is free once people are on the grounds.
AUDIO: Mark Wolfe (7 min. MP3)
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