Center for Business and Economic Research - Ball State University


CBER Data Center
Projects and PublicationsEconomic IndicatorsWeekly CommentaryCommunity Asset InventoryManufacturing Scorecard

About

Commentaries are published weekly and distributed through the Indianapolis Business Journal and many other print and online publications. Disclaimer

RSS Feed

Disclaimer

The views expressed in these commentaries do not reflect those of Ball State University or the Center for Business and Economic Research.

Recent

What Made Us Fumble Education Policy?Between 2016 and today, 50,000 fewer Hoosier students attended college.

Grim Recessionary FactsTrump’s criticism of the BLS and Fed is at best a transparent effort to deflect blame for the ill effects of his tariff obsession.

Some Easy (and Not So Easy) Spending Cuts for the Next BudgetEach of the 50 states vary in tax collection, public services and benefits.

More Bad News About Hoosier College AttendanceLow educational attainment not only dooms a location to slow growth, but also it makes a place less attractive to college graduates.

View archives

Top Tags

jobs and employment 269
economics 210
state and local government 195
education 193
indiana 179
economic development 175
law and public policy 153
taxes 152
budget and spending 151
workforce and human capital 146
Browse all tags
Reporter / Admin Login

August 10, 2009

State Fair is Fun Stimulus Plan

This weekend heralds the start of the Indiana State Fair. I will be there at least once, hopefully twice. It seems my ten- year-old daughter was disappointed with her watermelon spitting performance last year and is vowing a come back. My advice for those of you volunteering at that booth: wear safety glasses.

The State Fair is a great treat, but there’s a lot more to it than the food and fun. In 2008, when gas prices were nearing $4.00 a gallon and the economy had begun to slow, over 859,000 folks visited the Fair. According to our estimates the spending at the Fair last year led to more than $63 million in total economic activity. While some of this would have no doubt been spent in Indiana on other activities, this is very respectable impact. There’s also an interesting twist on the State Fair and the economy.

There is mounting evidence that during a recession people tend to stay closer to home for entertainment and amusement. My Center released a study this spring that found that museums, zoos and other cultural activities saw significantly increased traffic during economic downturns. I’ve spoken with a number of museum directors who confirm that attendance is at record highs. Unfortunately, their revenues are not rising since most of these institutions subsidize tickets with endowments and grants.

This year with the economy still suffering and gasoline more than a dollar less per gallon we expect much higher attendance. As a bonus, the State Fair Commission extended the fair through another weekend. As a consequence of a longer Fair, weaker economy and lower gasoline prices we predict about 1.06 million visitors. Ironically, that is almost exactly the state population in 1852, the first year of the Indiana State Fair.

I also have to admit a special fondness for the Indiana State Fair. Though I was raised in the Washington, D.C. area, both of my parents were born on Hoosier farms. Each summer we made the pilgrimage back to Indiana. As I visited the Fair last year, for the first time in almost four decades I was magically carried back to a time when men wore fedoras. All the scents and sounds were there. For just a whisper of a moment I clearly saw my Grandpa holding my hand and patiently explaining the workings of a steam thresher and marveling through the crowd at a gigantic hog. All the while my six-year-old self was distracted by a second elephant ear my indulgent grandma sneaked past mom. I am certain I left with a bellyache.

These things matter too, even if we haven’t included them in our economic impact models. So go to the Indiana State Fair this year. Watch a show, see the hogs and buy an elephant ear. That said, I have just one warning. If you wander into the Ball State Backyard and happen upon the watermelon spitting contest, stay well back from the line of fire.

Link to this commentary: https://commentaries.cberdata.org/51/state-fair-is-fun-stimulus-plan

Tags: stimulus


About the Author

Michael Hicks cberdirector@bsu.edu

Michael J. Hicks, PhD, is the director of the Center for Business and Economic Research and the George and Frances Ball distinguished professor of economics in the Miller College of Business at Ball State University. Note: The views expressed here are solely those of the author, and do not represent those of funders, associations, any entity of Ball State University, or its governing body.

© Center for Business and Economic Research, Ball State University

About Ball State CBER Data Center

Ball State CBER Data Center is one-stop shop for economic data including demographics, education, health, and social capital. Our easy-to-use, visual web tools offer data collection and analysis for grant writers, economic developers, policy makers, and the general public.

Ball State CBER Data Center (cberdata.org) is a product of the Center for Business and Economic Research at Ball State University. CBER's mission is to conduct relevant and timely public policy research on a wide range of economic issues affecting the state and nation. Learn more.

Terms of Service

Center for Business and Economic Research

Ball State University • Whitinger Business Building, room 149
2000 W. University Ave.
Muncie, IN 47306-0360
Phone:
765-285-5926
Email:
cber@bsu.edu
Website:
www.bsu.edu/cber
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/BallStateCBER
Twitter:
www.twitter.com/BallStateCBER
Close