08/04/2026
Over the past week, we've received many questions about the 2026 Lake County Fair. Some have been asked in person, some through emails and phone calls, and many on social media.
Rather than respond to comments one at a time, we wanted to answer the questions we've heard most often in one place.
If you've ever wondered...
• Who the Lake County Fair Association is and where our revenue actually comes from
• Why Grandstand events required a separate ticket this year
• Why Fair admission is still required if you're only attending a Grandstand event
• Who actually sets food prices
• Why we offered free admission during Saturday's rain
..then we hope you'll take a few minutes to read this. Some of the answers may surprise you.
First, we think it's important to explain who we are.
The Lake County Fair has always been about more than rides, food, and entertainment. At its core, our purpose is to preserve and celebrate Lake County's agricultural heritage while educating our community about agriculture and the traditions that have shaped Lake County for generations.
The Lake County Fair Association is a NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION. We are NOT part of Lake County government, nor do we receive county or federal funding. Every dollar we earn is reinvested into maintaining and improving the fairgrounds so we can continue fulfilling our mission and providing events for the community.
Many people don't realize that throughout the year we rent our building and grounds to outside promoters who host their own events at the fairgrounds. Those events are entirely their own. The Lake County Fair Association receives a daily rental fee for the use of our facilities. We also operate our Farmstand concession stand during those indoor events, and revenue from those sales supports the Fair Association.
Aside from our building rental fee and our Farmstand concession sales, we do not receive revenue from event admissions, parking, vendors, merchandise, or other activities associated with those events. We also do not control their admission prices, vendor pricing, hours, or other event decisions. Those decisions are made by each individual event promoter.
The only events that directly benefit the Lake County Fair Association are the Lake County Fair, the Lake County Beer Fest, and the Lake County Food Truck Festival.
One of the biggest questions we've received is why we charged separately for the Demolition Derby, Monster Truck Throwdown, and Pro Bull Riding this year.
The simple answer is that these events are expensive to produce. The entertainment alone costs anywhere from $20,000 to $60,000 per type of show, and that doesn't include hotels, insurance, equipment, staffing, and many other expenses required to host them.
Many people also asked why they had to pay Fair admission if they only wanted to attend a Grandstand event.
When you purchase Fair admission, you're not just paying to enter the Grandstand. Your admission helps support everything happening throughout the Fair and gives you access to our INCLUDED attractions that the Lake County Fair Association pays to bring in, including the Lumberjack Show, Pig Races, Wheels of Agriculture, Canine Stars, the Petting Zoo, Bubble Zone, Magic Show, Face Painting, the Balloon Artist, live music throughout the Fair, the Strolling DJ, and many other attractions. Many of these also require lodging and other contractual expenses that the Fair Association covers.
Our goal has always been to offer more free attractions than paid attractions once you're inside the gates, and we remain committed to that goal.
We also received questions about Sunday's Pro Bull Riding ticket prices. The bull riding arena was centered directly in front of Section B, giving those seats the best view of the action. Sections A and C were located on either side of the arena and did not offer the same viewing experience, especially toward the ends of those sections due to the length of our grandstands.
When we planned the event, we intentionally priced those sections differently because we knew the view would not be the same. Section B tickets were $15, while Sections A and C were just $5. In fact, after viewing the seating layout, many guests who had originally purchased $5 tickets in Sections A or C chose to upgrade to Section B and pay the additional $10 for the better view. We did not feel that it was fair to charge more than $5 for the side sections.
Another question we've seen is about food prices.
The Lake County Fair Association does not set the prices charged by food vendors. Every food vendor is an independent business that sets its own prices. Like many businesses today, they continue to experience increased costs for food, supplies, labor, insurance, and fuel.
The only food stand we operate ourselves during the Fair is our Farmstand (inside the Expo Hall), where our highest-priced menu item is an $8 pulled pork sandwich.
We'd also like to explain why we offered free admission and free preferred parking on Saturday until the rain stopped.
Friday and Saturday brought some extremely challenging weather. On Friday, we closed the Fair a little early because of the weather. Saturday's forecast called for steady rain throughout the day, and with most outdoor attractions unable to operate, we didn't feel it was right to charge guests for an experience we couldn't fully provide.
Rather than closing the Fair until the weather improved and our outdoor attractions could reopen, we chose to keep the Expo Hall open so our local indoor vendors would still have an opportunity to do business. We also allowed outdoor food vendors to open if they chose to.
Because the amusement area and nearly all outdoor attractions and shows were unavailable due to the weather, we didn't feel it was right to charge guests for an experience that wasn't even halfway operational. That's why we offered free admission and free preferred parking until conditions improved. We also offer free general parking every day of the Fair, with preferred parking simply providing a closer walk to the Expo Hall.
As soon as the weather improved and the amusement area, outdoor attractions, and shows could reopen, normal Fair operations resumed and admission charges began at that time.
Putting on the Lake County Fair is a year-round effort. Beyond entertainment, we pay for security, sheriff deputies, EMS, utilities, insurance, equipment rentals, bleachers, tents, staging, sanitation, fuel, cash management, ticketing staff, and countless other expenses required to safely host an event of this size.
The Fair is organized by just two full-time office employees, three full-time facilities employees, one part-time employee, and a volunteer Board of Directors made up of nine individuals who generously donate their time throughout the year. During Fair week, we're also fortunate to have volunteers who help make the Fair possible.
As the cost of putting on events continues to rise, we have to make difficult decisions to ensure we can continue offering the quality Fair our community has come to expect.
Despite the challenging weather on Friday and Saturday, we were incredibly thankful for the support we received throughout the week. Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday brought great attendance, and our Grandstand events were well attended. Most importantly, we were grateful to see so many families, friends, exhibitors, vendors, volunteers, and community members come together to enjoy everything the Fair has to offer.
We understand that not everyone will agree with every decision we make, and that's okay. Our hope is simply that this post provides a better understanding of who we are, how the Lake County Fair operates, and why these decisions were made. If you ever have questions, we'd love the opportunity to answer them. Our office is always happy to have that conversation.
Our goal has always been, and will continue to be, providing Lake County with a Fair that celebrates our agricultural heritage, creates lasting family memories, and offers something for everyone.
To everyone who attended the 2026 Lake County Fair, volunteered, exhibited, sponsored, entertained, supported a vendor, or supported us in any way, thank you. Your support allows us to continue carrying out our mission and preserving this tradition for generations to come.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and for caring enough about the Lake County Fair to be part of the conversation.
We look forward to welcoming everyone back next year.
