Scott Breitrick of the Shawano County Agricultural Society told Shawano County supervisors the 2024 county fair saw record attendance.
“The fair attendance was excellent. We had 70,751 people attend the fair,” he said at the Feb. 26 meeting of the county board. “I think that’s probably the most that we’ve ever had at the fair in one year.”
Breitrick spoke briefly about the ag society’s annual report.
“The midway stage we put up in the middle. It got used a lot,” he said. “We had a lot of good compliments on it. Keith Raddant donated all of the material, and the Wolf River Builders helped us put it together.”
They also addressed a few issues with the barns.
“We put a new roof on the big barn,” Breitrick said. “We insulated the roof in the sheep barn. That made a big difference in there.”
He said the livestock committee paid for the sheep barn roof.
“Right before the fair, three days before the fair, the well back by the horse barn all of a sudden didn’t work,” he noted.
With a new pump installed, the problem was quickly fixed.
The fair had operating revenue of $763,995 (about $206,000 more than the previous year) and operating expenses of $456,851 (about $77,800 more than in 2023).
Breitrick also addressed the scale issues and a shortened track at the Shawano Speedway.
“We put a new platform behind the old scale,” he said.
A platform was built inside the concrete pad.
“Literally, they can drive right straight on,” he said. “They can drive right straight off and have absolutely no problems this year.”
The speedway had six rainouts in 2024, but for those nights when races were held, attendance was 28,690.
The speedway had operating revenue of $556,257 (about $8,300 less than the previous year) and operating expenses of $589,107 (about $8,100 less than in 2023).
County Board Chairman Tom Kautza asked about the possibility of shortening the traditional half-mile track.
Breitrick said new clay on the track will push back any decision a few years.
He talked with Grant Bystol, highway commissioner, and the highway department will bring in some of the same clay used to cap the landfill. Breitrick said they intend to add 4 inches of clay to the track.
“Outagamie had some (clay) just to give away. We had that tested, and it tested at 48% clay,” Breitrick said. “We tested six different spots on our track; they clay tested 25%, and the rest is sand and loam. And then we tested the borrow site … and that tested at 43%.
“If we get new clay on, I think it’s going to help.”
“The way it stands right now is that issue is dead, at least for another couple years, and then it’ll come back again,” Kautza added.
According to the report, the ag society’s total assets as of Oct. 31 amount to $979,873, about $52,000 more than Oct. 31, 2023.
kpasson@newmedia-wi.com
Record attendance reported at county fair
