Crawford County Fair not planning for grandstand concerts in 2023

Keith Gushard, The Meadville Tribune, Pa.
·2 min read

Feb. 16—Don't expect grandstand concerts at the Crawford County Fair this year.

Dean Maynard, the fair's president, confirmed to The Meadville Tribune on Wednesday that concerts are not on the grandstand schedule.

"The country music landscape has changed with so many indoor arenas these days," he said. "The bands don't want to play county fairs."

Also, the fair has lost money on most of its major concert acts in recent years.

There will be grandstand entertainment, however.

"These types of acts sell and get people in the grandstands," Maynard said of the entertainment contracts that center around motorsports. "We need to do what works as we rebuild financially."

A slate of contracts was presented by Maynard at Wednesday's work session of the Crawford County Board of Commissioners.

Members of the Crawford County Fair Board approved the contracts below at their meeting last week, Maynard said. The contracts also are subject to approval by the commissioners, who are set to act next week on multiple entertainment contracts for the fair.

Main Event Amusements of Solvay, New York, returns for its second year with another one-year, $80,000 contract for providing amusement rides for the fair Aug. 20 through 26.

Maynard said that contract has a provision that allows the fair to collect 15 percent of Main Event's sales once the company reaches $80,000 in sales at the fair. Maynard told the Tribune following the work session that Main Event had $122,000 in sales last year, so the fair earned $6,300.

Other grandstand event contracts presented were:

—Black Cat Hell Drivers stunt show on Aug. 20, for $12,600.

—Stock Car Football by JM Motorsport Productions, Hamburg, New York, on Aug. 21, for $7,500.

—Rodeo by Bullride Mania of Fredonia on Aug. 22, for $13,500.

—Truck and tractor pulls by Full Pull Productions of Jamestown on Aug. 24 and 25, for a total cost not to exceed $44,500.

Also presented were: Agripuppets of Sarasota, Florida, for $7,700 for free agricultural-themed puppet shows Aug. 20 through 26; and Rock N Circus of Sarasota for $7,500, for free rock 'n roll-themed circus stunt shows on Aug. 22 through 26.

Contracts for other grandstand events — KOI Drag Racing of Owenton, Kentucky, for a drag racing show on Aug. 23; and Derbydog Productions Inc. of Madison, Ohio, for two demolition derbies on Aug. 26 — previously were approved by both boards.

Keith Gushard can be reached at (814) 724-6370 or by email at kgushard@meadvilletribune.com.