Tickets to get into the Kosciusko County Fair just went up by $3.
The increase was unanimously approved by the Fair Board Monday night and explained by Board Treasurer Sheal Dirck. Adult tickets will cost $8 and will include grandstand events.
The new price for the adult ticket now includes anyone age 10 and older and eliminates the child ticket. Ages 9 and younger will be admitted free, and senior citizen tickets will remain $3. Senior tickets also will continue go down to $1 on Wednesdays for senior day.
In comparison to area counties, Dirck said, Elkhart County charges $10 for an adult ticket ages 10 and older and includes grandstand events; Allen County charges $7 per adult ticket and doesn’t include the grandstand; and St. Joseph County charges $10 per adult ticket with grandstand events included.
“We’re still the cheapest one in the area to include a grandstand,” Dirck said.
Board member Nathan Rhoades proposed a change to expand military access and access to first responders. The board unanimously voted to allow military members and all first responders – police, fire, EMTs and their spouses – to be admitted free to the fair with proper identification. No ID is required for the spouse.
Board President Kevin Harris said the last time changes in ticket prices were made was at least a decade ago. Allowing ticket sales to include access to grandstand events will eliminate the need to police the hill overlooking the events as well as people stamping hands for access.
Rhoades said he thinks the change in pricing isn’t too extreme from where the prices were, and he believes the change to include grandstand events will bring more middle class families out.
“We hope it will increase attendance at the fair,”?Harris said.
The Fair Association’s annual dinner and meeting is 6:30 p.m. Monday at the Shrine Building. Two new board members will be elected, and changes to association bylaws will be discussed. The $15/person meal begins at 6:30 p.m., with the meeting starting at 7:30 p.m.
Also Monday, the board:
• Agreed to donate two sets of four weekly passes to the fair and two sets of four ride wristbands to the Mark Demske fundraiser’s silent auction at Tippecanoe Valley High School Nov. 23. Demske is a 4-H Council member who is having health problems. The value of the packages is $1,000.
• Paid $17,580.33 to the 4-H Horse & Pony Club members who have volunteered their time the past two years at the Haunted House in exchange for 1/3 of the profits.
The next board meeting is 7 p.m. Dec. 9 in the Shrine Building.
