2011 Fair Kickoff event set Sunday at fairgrounds

Friday, July 8, 2011

Can't wait for the Putnam County Fair?

Your chance to get a jump on the 2011 fair comes Sunday with a Putnam County Fair Kickoff program, set for 2-4 p.m. in the Community Building on the fairgrounds.

The meeting will begin with free ice cream at 2 p.m., followed at 2:30 p.m. by a program hosted by Kenny Torr, who will share stories about the history of the county fair.

Two power point programs created by Steve Cash will be running during the event. One will highlight the fair books from 1961-2010. The other will show highlights of last year's fair activities.

The 2011 Putnam County Fair is scheduled July 22-30.

The kickoff event is designed to share memories of fairs past and review activities and club work that lead up to the fair. The 10-year 4-H members for 2011 will be honored, along with the candidates for Putnam County fair queen.

The program will also recognize the many volunteers who help make the Putnam County Fair one of the best fairs around.

To help keep the fair at that level, the Putnam County Community Foundation has created a new endowment to support maintenance and capital improvement projects at the fairgrounds.

The Fair Board Endowment Committee has set an initial goal of reaching $100,000 by the end of the year.

The fairgrounds is not owned by the county or any unit of government and does not receive any tax monies. Years ago, the county did provide the fairgrounds with approximately $40,000 each year. However, as local tax revenue decreased, county officials eliminated that support.

Since then, Fair Board directors have been relying on the annual generosity of many individuals and businesses. They hold other events during the year to generate revenue for the facilities. However, as the buildings age and the cost of operations and materials rises, it is clear the fairgrounds will need additional funding.

Donations to the Fairgrounds Endowment will be protected by the Community Foundation. The payout each year to the fairgrounds will be 4.5 percent of the endowment's fund balance. Over time, the endowment will generate yearly revenue for maintenance and capital improvement projects at the fairgrounds.

Contributions to the endowment should be made payable to the Putnam County Community Foundation with "Putnam County Fairgrounds" in the memo. They can be mailed to 2 S. Jackson St., Greencastle, IN 46135.

Respond to this story

Posting a comment requires free registration: