Elkhart County 4-H Fair

What Elkhart County 4-H Fair does

Elkhart County 4-H Fair is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation (legal name: Elkhart County 4-H and Agricultural Exposition, Inc.) operating one of Indiana's oldest continuously running county fairs, with origins dating to 1851. The organization's flagship asset is a 9-day annual fair held on a 380-acre, 70+ building fairground campus in Goshen, Indiana (17746-D County Road 34), drawing 200,000+ visitors and serving 3,800+ 4-H youth through programming delivered under Purdue University Extension. The fair combines agricultural exhibitions, 4-H youth competitions, a grandstand concert series (national touring artists priced $10-$70), a carnival midway (wristbands $30-$35; ride tickets at $0.50 each), fair food, and family entertainment; a 50th-anniversary milestone fair was hosted in 2023.

The entity operates a year-round facility rental and event business layered on top of the annual fair. Revenue derives from tiered admission (First Friday $5, online pre-sale $8, gate $10, Sunday and select days free; children 9 and under, seniors on Senior Citizen's Day, and Hometown Hero Day attendees receive free entry); grandstand concert ticketing via eTix; carnival and ride revenue; year-round rentals of the 20,000 sq ft Elkhart County Community Center, 700-unit RV campground (a structural fit given Elkhart's status as the 'RV Capital of the World'), and winter vehicle/RV storage; commercial vendor and sponsorship fees; and tax-deductible donations through the Elkhart County 4-H Fair Foundation (managed by the Community Foundation of Elkhart County with 25% matching). Pricing is unit-based, pay-as-you-go, and publicly disclosed on the website.

Technology is commercial rather than proprietary: the Saffire platform powers the website, event pages, and ticketing CMS; eTix handles third-party concert ticketing; RunSignUp handles the Parade 5K registration. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via 4hfair.org and on-site gate sales, supported by a multi-channel owned social presence (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter/X, TikTok, Flickr), email signup, mobile app, and broadcast partnerships with local TV and radio stations. A 47,500 sq ft multi-purpose facility (Forest River Inc. & Peter J. Liegl Ag & Community Expo), a Health & Wellness Center, and an expanded full-hookup campground are scheduled to break ground September 11, 2026 and open summer 2027. Governance is volunteer-led through a 130+ member fair board, with separate endowment oversight through the Fair Foundation.

Name

Elkhart County 4-H Fair

Legal name

Elkhart County 4-H and Agricultural Exposition, Inc.

Website

https://4hfair.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1851

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Elkhart County 4-H Fair is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating a 380-acre fairground in Goshen, Indiana, hosting a flagship annual 9-day fair featuring agricultural exhibitions, 4-H youth programs, concerts, and a carnival midway, with year-round facility rentals and RV rally hosting.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fairground & Community Event Services

NAICS

Amusement and Theme Parks (713110)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Fairgrounds & Expo Parks (THAHAAAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Local Community & Multi-Category Fairs (MPAGAFAO)

Keywords

• Community fair management
• Fairground facility rentals
• Agricultural youth programs
• Event venue services
• Carnival event hosting

Headquarters

HQ city

Goshen

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Admission Tickets: Pre-sale tickets at $8 online, $10 at gate, $5 on First Friday, free on Sunday. Children 9 and under free.
2. Grandstand Concert Tickets: Reserved seating tickets for concerts and events ranging from $10-$70 depending on artist and seating type
3. Carnival Rides and Wristbands: Pre-sale wristbands $30, $35 during fair. Individual ride tickets at $0.50 each with various bundles available
4. Facility Rentals: Year-round venue rentals including Community Center (20,000 sq ft), RV camping, winter storage, event spaces for weddings, trade shows, corporate events
5. Vendor and Sponsorship Fees: Commercial exhibits, food vendors, event sponsors, and parade entry fees
6. Donations and Foundation: Tax-deductible donations through Fair Foundation managed by Community Foundation of Elkhart County with 25% matching

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Elkhart County 4-H Fair is a nonprofit organization that produces an annual nine-day county fair featuring livestock shows, agricultural exhibitions, carnival rides, grandstand entertainment, and food concessions. Beyond the annual fair, it operates a 380-acre fairground complex that hosts year-round events including RV rallies, trade shows, weddings, concerts, and campground stays. The fair is a 501(c)(3) entity affiliated with the 4-H youth development program.

Product overview

Elkhart County 4-H Fair operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization hosting one of Indiana's largest community fairs. The core offering is an annual 9-day fair featuring agricultural exhibitions, 4-H youth programs, grandstand concerts, carnival midway, and fair food. The organization complements the fair with year-round facility rentals (the 20,000 sq ft Elkhart County Community Center, RV camping for up to 700 units, and winter storage), community events (Spring Eggstravaganza, Holiday Lights, Mistletoe Market), and RV manufacturer rallies. The Forest River & Peter J. Liegl Ag & Community Expo (47,500 sq ft) is under development for 2027 completion. Ticketing and registration are handled through third-party platforms (Etix and RunSignUp).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Annual 4-H Fair
• Fairground Facility Rentals

Quantifiable outcome

• Hosts over 200,000 visitors annually during 9-day fair
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Community Foundation of Elkhart CountycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Manages the Elkhart County 4-H Fair Foundation endowment fund. Contributions receive 25% matching from the foundation. Ensures long-term financial sustainability of the fairgrounds.
• Goshen Noon Kiwanis ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParade sponsor for over 40 years. Parade check-in begins at 9:30 am with parade stepping off at 1:30 pm from Linway Plaza.
• SaffirecoreTechnology or IntegrationEvent management and ticketing technology platform powering the website, online ticket sales, and event registration.
• eTixcoreTechnology or IntegrationThird-party ticketing platform for concert and grandstand event ticket sales.
• Local Media SponsorsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWSBT, 107.3 WRSW, Froggy 102.7, Sunny 101.5, u93, Pulse FM, B100, Wirx, WNDU, 103.9 The Bear, Willie 103.5 provide media coverage and promotion.
• Purdue University ExtensioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExtension Service directs the 4-H program. Fair serves as exposition platform for Elkhart County 4-H youth development programs.
• Goshen Home MedicalminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProvides wheelchair and scooter rentals for fair-goers with mobility needs.
• Nex Gen RodeominorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerRodeo event operator handling participant registration and event logistics (contact: 903-287-7852).
• Dunlap Lions ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with Green Day for eyeglass collection drive at the environmental education event.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Minnesota State Fair: One of the largest annual state fairs in the United States with attendance of approximately 2 million visitors. Comparable in operating model (admission + grandstand + agricultural exhibits) and demonstrates the upper bound of attendance economics for fairs in the Midwest.
• Wisconsin State Fair: Major Midwest state fair with strong agricultural programming, family entertainment, and year-round event facility. Comparable scale and revenue structure, including youth livestock programs and a long history similar to Elkhart County's 160+ year tradition.
• Ohio State Fair: Annual multi-day state fair with 4-H/youth agricultural exhibitions, grandstand concerts, carnival midways, and year-round fairground rentals. Operates with similar revenue mix of admissions, entertainment ticketing, sponsorships, and facility rental.
• Delaware State Fair: Annual state fair with 4-H youth programming, harness racing, concerts, and year-round facility rentals including RV camping. Operates a similar multi-revenue fairground model in a smaller geography.
• Indiana State Fair: Indiana's flagship state-level fair operated on a similar 4-H and agricultural exhibition model, with paid admission, grandstand entertainment, and youth programming. The Elkhart County Fair is the largest county-level analog within the same state fair ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• Indiana Grand / Indiana Horse Racing: Indiana-based entertainment and events operator. Although not a direct fair operator, it represents a comparable Midwest entertainment/events business competing for similar consumer leisure spending in the region.

Regional players

• Elkhart County Convention & Visitors Bureau: Regional tourism authority promoting Elkhart County including the RV manufacturing heritage and Amish Country experiences. Comparable as a regional tourism and venue marketing organization serving the same catchment area as the fair.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ElkhartCo4HFair
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCsjCLgRAIwLTDAdTSu2LKYg
• Facebookfacebook.com/elkhartcounty4hfair
• Instagraminstagram.com/elkhartco4hfair
• TikToktiktok.com/@elkhartcounty4hfair
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/elkhart-county-4-h-fair

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Elkhart County 4-H Fair