FLORENCE, Wis. — After much discussion and conversation at multiple fair board meetings, the Florence County Fair Board decided to increase some of the admission fees for this year’s fair.

“It wasn’t any easy decision for us to make,” said Jessica Klumpp, executive director. “We looked at other events in the area and compared rates for single day events compared to our fair which is an entire weekend.”

Admission rates are: free for children 11 and under, $10 for ages 12 and older, $5 for seniors 65 and older, and just $5 for anyone over the age of 12 who exhibits an item in the fair.

“We know that it is a family friendly event, and we are trying to keep it that way,” Klumpp said.

When you come to the Florence County Fair all of the entertainment is included in the price of your admission, and it’s good for the entire weekend. Additional registration fees apply to those who wish to compete in the Mud Big, Tractor Pull or Car Show. Once you are at the fair, the only additional items our fair attendees have to pay for are the inflatable rides and the food and beverages they drink.

“As always we are keeping our food and beverage prices low,” Klumpp said. “We want to make it affordable for those attending.” On average they range from 50 cents to $5.”

Your admission to the fair covers you to watch and listen to the music, the magic show, the air powered rocket workshop, kids coin scramble, grandma’s garden, the Draft Horse Pull, Mud Bog, Garden Tractor Pull, Classic Car Show and much more.

Your admission is good for the entire fair, so once you pay your admission to the fair it is good no matter how many times you come to the fair. You only pay once.

“We will be offering a discounted rate on Sunday of $5 for ages 12 and older,” Klumpp added. “With the somewhat more limited schedule on Sunday, we are dropping the admission fee for that day only.”

If the fair board is volunteers and all the staff is volunteer at the fair, then where does the admission money go?

“That’s an awesome question,” said Klumpp. “The admission fee covers the entertainment for the weekend. Most people don’t realize how much it costs to put on the fair. The insurance policy for the fair alone is almost $3,500. The Mud Bog costs us about $7,000, music is about $3,000, the Horse Pull is about $2,000, the Magic Show $1500, the Tractor Pull and Car Show about $1,000. It adds up fast, and those are just the big ticket items. Our goal each year is to break even. Any money we raise gets put right back into the fair and into improving the fairgrounds.”

Anyone who enters something at the fair, or the parents of those children who exhibit at the fair, can purchase admission for $5. There is another option to be able to get in to the fair for free.

“Anyone who volunteers for a shift during the fair or for setup prior to the fair, gets free admission to the fair,” Klumpp said.

To volunteer for the fair, you can email the fair at florencecountyfair@hotmail.com or call and leave a message for the fair at 906-282-9153.

The 116th annual Florence County Fair will be held Friday through Sunday at the Florence County Fair Park.. The Florence County Fair Park is located at 5505 County Highway N in Florence — îjust 1/3 mile south of U.S. 2.