When visitors walk through the gates of the Delaware County Fair, they see the finished product: the bright lights, the music, the rides, the animals, the food stands and the events happening around every corner.
What they do not always see is the year of planning, paperwork, problem-solving and teamwork that happens long before opening day.
For Delaware County Fair Board President Jason Craig and the 10 other directors who help organize the fair, the work never really stops.
“We [directors] were just having conversations standing on the fairgrounds about things we don’t have time for this year,” Craig said. “Let’s do those things next year.”
That is the reality of preparing for a county fair. Before one fair ends, ideas for the next one have already begun.
The Delaware County Fair Board is made up of 11 directors, including four officers, who meet monthly throughout the year. Each director oversees committees responsible for different parts of the fair, including tractor pulls, derbies, parking, camper areas, animal barns, security and more.
Those committees help transform a wide-open fairground into a weeklong destination for thousands of visitors.
There are also plenty of behind-the-scenes details most fairgoers never notice — state permits, inspections, insurance requirements, vendor coordination, water testing, equipment rentals and making sure the grounds are ready for whatever weather arrives.
Even the smallest details matter.
If rain turns the fairgrounds muddy, crews need enough shavings available to keep walkways and vendor areas usable. If a group rents the grounds for a wedding or party during the off-season, someone has to coordinate everything from insurance paperwork to tables and chairs.
The fair also operates as a nonprofit, which means there are annual audits, financial reporting and grant applications to complete.
Craig handles much of the grant work himself, helping secure funding for improvements while allowing fair revenue to go toward entertainment and other projects.
And then there are the countless hours that never make it onto a calendar.
“It absolutely is” like having another full-time job, Craig said when asked about the commitment required.
He estimates each director contributes roughly 900 to 1,000 hours a year - and that does not include the many volunteers who help make individual areas of the fair successful.
“That doesn’t even count all of the volunteers that work on their areas as well,” Craig said.
The workload is shared, though, and Craig credits the board’s teamwork for making it possible.
“It’s not just a couple people doing everything; it’s all of us doing everything,” he said.
That teamwork extends beyond Delaware County.
Fair directors regularly visit other county fairs, attend state conventions and share ideas with other fair organizers across New York. Through the New York State Association of Fairs, directors can visit other fairs to see what is working and bring new ideas home.
Craig, who serves as second vice president of the association, said the exchange of ideas benefits everyone.
“We try to work together,” he said. “We try to make sure that we help each other out.”
For visitors enjoying the Delaware County Fair, all that preparation may go unnoticed - and that is part of the goal.
The best fairs feel effortless.
But behind every ride, exhibit, contest and concert is a team of people who have spent months making sure everything is ready when the gates open.
“It takes a lot to put that fair on,” Craig said. “That’s why I think so many people are so proud of it, and they can’t wait for it to get here because everyone’s worked so hard to make it happen.”
