By The 2025 Brown County Fair, rainy and muddy as it may have been, has been deemed a success.
That’s what fair and fairgrounds manager Rachel Kippley told members of the Brown County Commission during their regular meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 16 at the Brown County Courthouse Annex.
Kippley
Kippley presented an incomplete recap of the fair because some revenue numbers are still being crunched. But she said this year’s fair was a record-breaker as far as grandstand ticket sales are concerned. They generated $955,217, she said.
MORE: Gallery: Check out the sites and scenes from the 2025 Brown County Fair
The budget for this year’s fair was a tad more than $1.5 million, and total revenue so far is approaching $1.76 million with more to come, she said.
Revenue from vendor booth rental was $137,128, and another $53,782 was taken in from alcohol sales on the fairgrounds, Kippley said.
She said the Dacotah Bank Stampede rodeo continues to be one of the most popular events at the fair.
“I believe either one or both of the nights were getting sold out this year. So it’s something people were interested in,” Kippley said.
The Dustin Lynch and Redferrin concert at the Larry Gerlach Grandstand on Saturday, Aug. 16 also sold out, he said.
It’s not too early to look ahead to next year’s fair as Kippley presented an updated request for proposals for a stock provider for the 2026 rodeo. The aim is to find a turnkey crew that can do almost everything so fair volunteers aren’t needed to set up or tear down.
Commissioners unanimously approved the request for proposals and set Oct. 21 as the date they will be open.
In other action, the commission approved matters of routine business and met in executive session to discuss personnel.
