Who We Are
Our Mission
The Clay County Fair is “The World’s Greatest County Fair” by presenting blue-ribbon competition, world-class entertainment and innovative exhibits in a safe family atmosphere, while also providing year-round facilities for entertainment and events.
OUR PURPOSE
We will …
Bring the community together
Provide a wide variety of activities
Create a safe, clean, family-friendly environment
Be relevant in all aspects of our organization
Teach about agriculture, both Fair-time and year-round
Maintain and upgrade our century-old facility
Keep the Fair as our focus, hosting the best possible fair that we can put on each year
Build profitable non-Fair events through the Events Center and Blue Ribbon Catering
Be innovative
Foster good relationships with other fairs & be recognized as a leader in the fair industry
Promote all of our activities so everyone will know that “there is something to do” at the Fair & Events Center.
Our Values
SERVICE We deliver outstanding service and great experiences to each other and our guests.
EXCELLENCE We strive to be the “The World’s Greatest” through hard work, resilience, and enthusiasm.
CONSISTENCY We do the right thing, the right way, at the right time, every time.
FAMILY We operate with integrity, loyalty, and a sense of caring for each other and our guests.
FUN We realize that while our work is important, it is not a matter of life or death.
2023 clay county fair by the numbers
Youth Involvement
A record 930 4-H and FFA exhibitors from 48 counties in Iowa, Minnesota, and Nebraska participated in livestock and human sciences events at the Fair. Last year, 750 exhibitors from 46 counties participated.
Approximately 1,300 third and fourth grade students from 15 regional schools visited the Fair as part of the AgCiting and SciCiting field trip programs coordinated by ISU Extension Clay County.
Fairgoer Spending
Preliminary fairgoer spending on food, beverage, specialty concessions, and carnival rides is at an all-time record of $3,117,143.18, breaking the previous record set in 2022.
GoldStar Amusements set single-day records for carnival ride revenue on the last weekend of the Fair, including an all-time single-day record on Saturday, Sept. 16.
Exhibitor Participation
461 unique commercial exhibitors, concessionaires, and vendors showcased at the Fair. With at least 150 ag-specific exhibitors, the Fair again hosted the largest farm machinery and ag equipment show at any fair in the United States.
1,263 exhibitors participated in various open class livestock and non-livestock competitions at the Fair with a combined 10,278 total entries.
Attendance
Grandstand shows attracted 16,097 fairgoers to multiple stage performances and dirt events. The top two attended events were Jo Dee Messina and Diamond Rio on Thursday, Sept. 14 and the Outlaw Truck & Tractor Pull season championships on Sunday, Sept. 17.
Overall Fair attendance totaled 318,678 – a 2% decrease from 2022.
| Daily Attendance | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | 42,537 | 47,735 |
| Day 2 | 40,079 | 46,550 |
| Day 3 | 28,357 | 27,402 |
| Day 4 | 30,531 | 29,199 |
| Day 5 | 26,313 | 27,215 |
| Day 6 | 32,205 | 28,171 |
| Day 7 | 31,212 | 35,451 |
| Day 8 | 56.510 | 52,379 |
| Day 9 | 30,934 | 31,483 |
| Total | 318,678 | 325,585 |
Contact Us
Questions? Comments? Submit your email here and a member of our team will get back to you within one business day!