SEMO DISTRICT FAIR FINISHED YEAR IN BLACK

Now that all the receipts have been counted and the bills paid, the SEMO District Fair has finished in the black.

Fair Board President Bob Nitsch reported on the fair's financial health at the fair's annual meeting Wednesday. Over 150 people attended.

The District Fair was held Sept. 12-18 at Cape Girardeau's Arena Park. About 80,000 people visited the fairgrounds during the week, which Nitsch described as very successful.

"The bottom line was $45,606," said Nitsch.

He said the positive bottom line was especially good news because bad weather hurt two days of activities during the fair.

"We basically didn't have a fair on Tuesday with the rain, and Wednesday was a very cold day; we didn't do much that day either."

Despite those setbacks, Nitsch said the rest of the week was successful.

"I can attribute that to a little of everything," he said. "The carnival was up a little bit. The concessions were up some. We had more sponsorship and no doubt the entertainment was up."

Nitsch said he was also pleased with the figures from this year's fair considering other fairs in the state didn't do as well.

"The mighty Mississippi River and the Missouri River really caused problems for a lot of fairs in the state," he said. "We were blessed with our fair being at the end of the season when the water was beginning to recede."

Planning for next year's fair officially begins in December.