Gate receipts at the 2016 Southeast Alaska State Fair were “relatively flat” as compared to 2015, despite an improved ferry schedule and a “buzz” about entertainment that brought expectations for improved visitation from Juneau and Whitehorse, Y.T.

“We didn’t see it,” fair executive director Jessica Edwards told fair members Friday at the nonprofit corporation’s annual meeting. After climbing for 10 years, fair attendance peaked in 2014. The past two fairs have seen about the same numbers as 2012, Edwards said.

The fair may have been hurt by a weak Canadian dollar, she said, and a bigger marketing effort may be tried to recoup historic gate numbers.

At $8 per day with a season pass, the fair is an “amazing value,” Edwards said. “We just need to tell people about it.”

On the up side, the fair cut its waste volume in half this year through the volunteer efforts of Haines Friends of Recycling and ride revenues were up slightly, despite some breakdowns during the fair.

Addressing decaying buildings and infrastructure, as well as staff and volunteer burnout, are the two biggest challenges facing the organization, Edwards said.

Edwards reported that the Great Alaska Homebrew and Craft Beer festival is growing in interest and provides nearly 25 percent of the fair corporation’s annual income.

“I tried to pitch the fair to Alaska Airlines magazine. They want to write about Beerfest… Everybody and their sister want to come to Beerfest, and that’s great,” Edwards said. The Haines Borough has been very helpful in terms of fine-tuning issues with the event like camping, trash disposal and public safety, she said.

The annual Fishermen’s Community Barbecue, held around summer solstice, also was a success, Edwards said. This year’s complimentary king salmon roast was included as part of the Kluane-Chilkat International Bicycle Relay.

“We absorbed the bike race while still having a great community event,” Edwards said, noting that seafood company Ocean Beauty donated $8,000 in fish. “That’s not necessarily sustainable.”

Member comments included concern about a decline in fair exhibits. “It’s sad to see other communities not represented,” Fran Tuenge said. Ideas for increasing exhibits included identifying individuals known to make art or crafts and to make it easier for senior citizens to enter exhibits and attend the fair.

Burl Sheldon said the fair staff and entertainment are “fabulous” but improvements to sound and equipment are needed on the fair’s three stages. “You can’t have a microphone at an event without a stage manager.”

Sheldon said the issue is a “20-year problem,” that includes turning up the volume to address reverberation under Payson’s Pavilion.

“People in the 50-60 age range are missing the fair and they’re missing acts because mainly it’s too damned loud. My sense is that the fair is leaving money on the table,” Sheldon said.

During a board election at the meeting, Leslie Evenden was elected and Courtney Culbeck, Deb Marshall, Rodger Tuenge and Josh Benassi were re-elected. The meeting included tributes to past board members Eric Forster and Teresa Raven. Raven served as longtime bookkeeper and Forster led multiple construction efforts while serving as board chair.

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