Pitch in to support strong future for Canfield Fair

When judging the quality of the cornucopia of community assets in the Mahoning Valley, the Canfield Fairgrounds stands out as a perennial blue- ribbon champ.

For 171 years now, the expansive fairgrounds is transformed into a bustling meeting grounds for hundreds of thousands of visitors during the waning days of summer. In 2016, the 170th edition of Ohio’s largest county fair drew more than 310,000 fans to its 353 acres of rides, concessions, animal barns, displays, grandstand shows and more.

But the fairgrounds does not thrive on the county fair alone.

During about 40 other weeks of the year, the fairgrounds does not sleep, hosting a variety of events from both inside and outside of our community. They range from the ever-popular Canfield Scaregrounds at Halloween time to the Home Show in springtime.

But like all community assets, the Canfield Fairgrounds must invest in the future if it is to survive and prosper. Toward that end, members of the Canfield Fair Board of Directors and Canfield Fair Foundation last week announced plans for a $4.5 million fundraising campaign to finance a variety of major improvements at the fairgrounds.

That capital campaign richly deserves communitywide support.

Specifically, the five-year drive is raising revenue to finance construction of a 45,000-square-foot arena and community exposition center and to build additional livestock buildings and barns to better serve the needs of the Junior Fair. Additionally, about $500,000 of the sum will be used to make necessary infrastructure improvements.

WHY CAMPAIGN DESERVES SUPPORT

On several fronts, the campaign makes eminently good sense.

First, it complements recent growth in the Junior Fair and represents a sound investment in the future of Mahoning County young people.

Participation in the Junior Fair, which teaches young people valuable skills and responsibilities, has hit new heights in recent years.

“The Junior Fair has been crowded for a number of years,” said Ward Campbell, the fair board director who oversees the program. In fact, in recent years, approximately 1,000 young people have struggled to properly show their animals and participate in Junior Fair activities because of cramped quarters.

The improvement project calls for new buildings and much more expansive space for the 4-H Club members on the southeast quadrant of the fairgrounds.

In addition, the centerpiece of the improvement project – an exposition center the size of a professional soccer field – will pave the way for additional year-round use of the fairgrounds. It could attract exhibitions, trade fairs and other events that might otherwise bypass the Valley.

As the population hub of Greater Youngstown increasingly gravitates toward Canfield and other communities in the southeastern quadrant of the county, the presence of a nearby first-class expo center would have a sizable audience from which to conveniently draw.

STRIVE FOR EARLY COMPLETION

Though the capital campaign is spaced out over five years, fair directors hope to begin work on the expansion projects shortly after the run of the 2017 fair is completed this fall. Given the compelling and clear-cut needs for the improvements, we’d hope the community would rally together quickly and doggedly to meet and beat the $4.5 million goal long before 2022.

It’s off to a great start. The fair board of directors has contributed $400,000 toward the goal. Now it’s up to community groups, including 4-H Clubs, civic organizations and fairgrounds supporters, to chip in and plan fundraising events. To make a personal donation, the board advises individuals to visit canfieldfair.com/capital-campaign or email info@canfieldfair.com.

According to Matthew Hughes of Fair Funding LLC, which is assisting the campaign, “the community has such a fondness and emotional connection to the Canfield Fair and its fairgrounds. While assessing the potential level of support for the capital campaign, this was one of the strongest I’ve ever experienced,” he said.

Hughes is right on the money. The project represent a sound investment in the fairgrounds that will help ensure the exposition hub remains something to crow about for years and decades to come.