Missouri State Fair

6 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 9, ISSUE 7 95-degree weather in August, with a smile on their face to greet people as they come in to various things.” Although parking is free, students are brought in to park the 11,000 cars that can be accommodated. “It is an ideal way for the kids to raise money, they come out and park cars for four hours a day, and then another shift comes in. We do that with the local college and with the schools,” says Wolfe. Other community organizations, such as the Lions Club, operate VIP parking on the grounds, charging $5.00 for a spot close to the main entrance. This money is then split between the fairgrounds and the organization. Wolfe adds, “A lot of the organizations in town, whether it’s Rotary or others, also get involved. They will come out and work different parts of the fair for free as volunteers. We have a really good relationship with the community and it is reciprocal. We have portable bleachers and an endless number of other things throughout our facility, which are not uncommon for the college or the city to borrow for an event. A lot of the graduation ceremonies in town actually happen here on the fairgrounds because we have facilities that are big enough to do that.” For 17 years, Missouri State Fair has been MI SSOUR I STATE FA I R