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6-29-2005

FAIRS AND FESTIVALS WORKING TO BOOST ATTENDANCE

Fairs and festivals season is upon the Mountain State , and some events are looking at ways to boost attendance figures that have been flagging in recent years.

"Several events last year indicated that attendance was down," said Janet Fisher, Deputy Commissioner of Agriculture and President of the Mountain State Art and Craft Fair (MSACF), which occurs Independence Day weekend at Cedar Lakes.

"And while we can't point to any single reason for the figures, the MSACF spent the past year evaluating customer satisfaction and reevaluating how we do business," she said.

As "The Granddaddy" of them all, the MSACF provided a model for later events, and Fisher hopes that the visitor-oriented changes being implemented this year will provide a new outlook for other fair and festival organizers in West Virginia.

"I'm really excited about the reinvention of this event. We're putting a new face on an old friend," Fisher said. "We've really made an effort to make the Fair more family friendly by providing more children's activities, we've been more selective in our jurying process to ensure that only the highest quality crafts are on display, and we've added a 'Heritage Village' to give people a taste of life skills from days gone by. Our theme this year is 'Where Yesterday Meets Tomorrow' and we have strived to offer something of interest for every generation."

While the kids are making take-home crafts, taking part in the Clay Center 's Avampato Discovery Museum activities or participating in mini-plays on the fairgrounds, Fido can keep cool at the "pet motel" in the parking lot. "Pets aren't allowed on the fairgrounds, but we don't want that to stop people from attending," Fisher explained.

Also new this year is an "appreciation day" on July 4 for Jackson County residents and military veterans. Jackson County residents with proof of residency (driver's license, bill, etc.) will be admitted free anytime after noon. Veterans will be admitted free all day.

"Since Commissioner [of Agriculture Gus R.] Douglass and two other agencies founded this event in 1963 as part of West Virginia 's centennial, Jackson County has embraced it whole-heartedly. We wanted to do something to give back to the people who have been so supportive all these years," said Fisher. "And because our military services have given so much to protect our independence, we wanted to show our thanks to them as well."

Traditions that will continue at the MSACF are crafting demonstrations and plenty of live music. Heritage Village will include demonstrations and sales of old-fashioned brooms, rugs, quilts and other items.

Visitors can also count on seeing roughly two dozen West Virginia food companies at the "Market Place." Samples will be available there, along with the West Virginia Department of Agriculture's apiary tent, which will feature different types of West Virginia honey, bee beard demonstrations and display hives.

The renowned Mountain Stage Band will kick off the music Friday, July 1, and heritage musicians will perform throughout the Fair. "We have an award-winning group of musicians who could command more than we can pay them, but they come because they're a part of the Fair family," said Fisher.

The West Virginia Department of Agriculture protects plant, animal and human health through a variety of scientific, regulatory and consumer protection programs, as mandated by state law. The Commissioner of Agriculture is one of six statewide elected officials in West Virginia. Currently, Commissioner Gus R. Douglass is the longest-serving agriculture commissioner in the nation. For more information, visit www.wvagriculture.org.

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