Linn County Fair Association
Linn County Fair Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that has operated a five-day annual county fair in Central City, Iowa since 1888, serving Linn County families, 4-H/FFA youth, vendors, and corporate partners via ticketed admissions, grandstand events, sponsorships, and year-round fairground rentals.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1889
- HeadquartersCentral City, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Linn County Fair Association does
The Linn County Fair Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that has operated a community fair continuously since 1888 (originally as the Wapsie Valley Fair, renamed in 1937). It is governed by an 18-member elected Fair Board and supported by ~48 associate members, with a small paid staff of 6 (2 office/rentals managers plus volunteer board leadership). The association is headquartered at the Linn County Fairgrounds, 201 Central City Road, Central City, Iowa, and its primary event is a five-day annual county fair held in late June/early July (2026 dates: June 24-28).
The organization's product is fundamentally an event and a venue, not a technology platform. The annual fair combines gate admissions (single day and weekly wristbands), a carnival ride program, ticketed grandstand entertainment (concerts, ECIPA truck & tractor pulls, Bulls & Barrels, Tough Trucks), a vendor marketplace (commercial, youth day, and military day exhibitors), and 4-H/FFA livestock and talent exhibitions delivered in partnership with Iowa State University Extension. Year-round, the association monetizes the same physical asset through fairground and camping facility rentals and winter storage. Ticketing is delivered through a Saffire-powered e-commerce layer on thelinncountyfair.com, with marketing distributed across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Flickr plus an email newsletter.
The business model is diversified across five revenue streams: ticket sales, grandstand event ticketing, partnership/sponsorship tiers (Grandstand & Day, Event, Friend of the Fair), vendor booth rentals, and year-round facility rentals. Attendance has ranged from 28,000 (2021, pandemic-reduced) to 50,000 (2017-2018) with 2023 at ~38,000. Revenue is not publicly disclosed. Pricing is published and consumer-friendly: children 0-10 enter free, $11.40 single-day adult gate admission, $22.80 carnival wristband, $6.20 half-price Sunday, and tiered grandstand pricing. The organization has no material proprietary technology, no API, no software product, and operates as a traditional community event-venue business.
Linn County Fair Association firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Linn County Fair Association
- Legal name
- The Linn County Fair Association
- Website
- https://thelinncountyfair.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1889
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Linn County Fair Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that has operated a five-day annual county fair in Central City, Iowa since 1888, serving Linn County families, 4-H/FFA youth, vendors, and corporate partners via ticketed admissions, grandstand events, sponsorships, and year-round fairground rentals.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Linn County Fair Association industry classification
Industry- Product category
- County Fair & Event Services
- NAICS
- Amusement Parks and Arcades (7131), Other Amusement and Recreation Industries (7139), All Other Amusement and Recreation Industries (71399)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Fairgrounds & Expo Parks (THAHAAAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Local Community & Multi-Category Fairs (MPAGAFAO), Amusement Parks (Regional/Local Ride Parks & Funfairs) (THAJAEAD)
Keywords
Where Linn County Fair Association is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Central City
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Linn County Fair Association business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Ticket Sales: Revenue from single-day gate admissions, weekly wristbands, and carnival ride wristbands/tickets for fair attendees.
- Grandstand Events: Revenue from ticketed grandstand events including concerts (Arch Allies, Chase Matthews with Terri Clark), truck & tractor pulls, bulls & barrels, and tough trucks competitions.
- Partnerships and Sponsorships: Business partnerships including Grandstand & Day Partners, Event Partners, and Friend of the Fair tiers. Partners receive advertising, signage, ticket benefits, and marketing recognition.
- Vendor Spaces: Revenue from commercial vendors, youth day exhibitors, and military day exhibitors renting booth/exhibit space at the fair.
- Facility Rentals: Year-round rental of fairgrounds facilities including the grounds, camping, and event spaces for 4-H/FFA rental events and other community events.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Single Day Gate Admission |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Weekly Admission Wristband |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Half Price Admission - Sunday Only |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Carnival Ride Wristband or Tickets |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Grandstand General Admission |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Pit Access + Event |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Linn County Fair Association product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Linn County Fair Association operates an annual five-day county fair in Central City, Iowa featuring carnival rides, concerts, livestock exhibitions, truck and tractor pulls, and 4-H/FFA youth competitions. The organization also manages year-round fairground facility rentals (buildings, camping, event spaces, winter storage), commercial vendor booth rentals, and tiered business partnership/sponsorship programs. It is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit community organization operating since 1888.
Product overview
The Linn County Fair Association operates a single annual county fair event (not a technology platform or SaaS product) as its primary offering. The organization manages fair admissions (single day and weekly wristbands), carnival rides, grandstand entertainment events (concerts, truck/tractor pulls, Tough Trucks), vendor marketplace, facility rentals, and a volunteer/membership program. The fair features 4-H and FFA youth exhibitions, free parking, and operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 1888. The organization does not offer technology products, APIs, or software services.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Single Day Gate Admission One-day entry ticket to the Linn County Fair valid for a single day during fair week (June 24-28, 2026). Free entry for children ages 0-10. Sold online and at the gate.
- Weekly Gate Admission Wristband Wristband valid for single entry every day of the fair week, providing unlimited daily access throughout the entire fair. Free entry for children ages 0-10.
- Carnival Ride Wristband/Tickets Carnival ride passes priced at $22.80, redeemable for either 22 individual ride tickets or a ride wristband valid on any single day during designated time windows (Wednesday 7pm-9pm, Thursday 2pm-6pm, Friday 3pm-7pm).
- Grandstand Events Ticketed grandstand entertainment events including ECIPA Truck & Tractor Pull, concerts (Arch Allies, Chase Matthews with Terri Clark), Tough Trucks competitions, and Bulls & Barrels. Pit access plus event tickets available at $33.20 (all ages).
- Fairgrounds Rentals Year-round rental of fairground facilities in Central City, Iowa, including buildings, camping sites, event spaces, 4-H/FFA rental event venues, and winter storage options.
- Vendor Program Opportunities for commercial vendors, youth day exhibitors, and military day exhibitors to rent booth/exhibit space at the fair for selling products or services.
- Partnership/Sponsorship Program Tiered business partnership program including Grandstand & Day Partners, Event Partners, and Friend of the Fair levels. Partners receive advertising, signage, ticket benefits, and marketing recognition in exchange for financial support.
- Associate Membership Program Membership tiers including Level 1, Level 2, and College memberships. Requires two years of associate membership before becoming eligible for the Fair Board. Approximately 48 members across tiers.
Companies that use Linn County Fair Association
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Linn County Fair Association technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Linn County Fair Association partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Hills BankminorHills Bank sponsors volunteer T-shirts for fair week volunteers. Located at https://www.hillsbank.com/
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Linn County Fair Association competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Mississippi Valley Fair: Annual county fair in Davenport, Iowa featuring livestock shows, carnival rides, concerts, and grandstand events. Closely comparable in scale, nonprofit structure, and event mix to Linn County Fair, and a direct Iowa-based competitor for regional fairgoers and entertainment talent.
- Clay County Fair: Northwest Iowa county fair widely regarded as one of the largest county fairs in the United States. Highly comparable operating model (nonprofit agricultural fair with grandstand events and exhibits) but at significantly larger scale, making it a useful upper-bound benchmark.
- Johnson County Fair (Iowa): Adjacent eastern Iowa county fair serving Johnson County. Comparable in scale and 4-H/FFA integration, and competes with Linn County Fair for some regional attendance, vendors, and entertainment talent within the Iowa City/Cedar Rapids corridor.
- Hawkeye Downs: Cedar Rapids, Iowa multi-purpose event and expo venue that historically hosted a competing Linn County 4-H/FFA fair (1958-1966 per Linn County Fair history). Comparable as a regional Iowa event/expo operator and a historical competitor in the same Linn County market.
Broad incumbents
- Iowa State Fair: The statewide flagship agricultural fair held annually in Des Moines. Comparable as an Iowa-based nonprofit fair association operating livestock exhibitions, grandstand entertainment, and vendor marketplaces, but at a vastly larger scale (over a million attendees) and serving a statewide rather than single-county audience.
- Wisconsin State Fair: Major Midwest state fair held annually in West Allis, Wisconsin. Comparable as a nonprofit fair association running livestock exhibitions, grandstand entertainment, and vendor marketplaces, but at a much larger regional scale.
- Minnesota State Fair: One of the largest state fairs in the U.S., held annually in Falcon Heights, Minnesota. Operates an analogous nonprofit fair model with livestock exhibitions, grandstand entertainment, and vendor programs, and represents a benchmark for the upper scale of fair-based organizations.
- National Western Stock Show: Iconic annual livestock exhibition and rodeo event held in Denver. Comparable in its 4-H/FFA livestock exhibition focus, nonprofit governance, and grandstand entertainment model, though at significantly larger national scale and urban setting.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Linn County Fair Association social profiles
Digital presenceLinn County Fair Association financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Linn County Fair Association leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles20 records
Linn County Fair Association funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Linn County Fair Association M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Linn County Fair Association
What does Linn County Fair Association do?
The Linn County Fair Association operates an annual five-day county fair in Central City, Iowa featuring carnival rides, concerts, livestock exhibitions, truck and tractor pulls, and 4-H/FFA youth competitions. The organization also manages year-round fairground facility rentals (buildings, camping, event spaces, winter storage), commercial vendor booth rentals, and tiered business partnership/sponsorship programs. It is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit community organization operating since 1888.
Is Linn County Fair Association a public or private company?
Linn County Fair Association is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Linn County Fair Association founded?
Linn County Fair Association was founded in 1889. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Linn County Fair Association based?
Linn County Fair Association is headquartered in Central City, United States, in the North America region.
How does Linn County Fair Association make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are grandstand Events, partnerships and Sponsorships, vendor Spaces and facility Rentals.
Who are Linn County Fair Association's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Mississippi Valley Fair, Clay County Fair, Johnson County Fair (Iowa) and Hawkeye Downs. Broad incumbents are Iowa State Fair, Wisconsin State Fair, Minnesota State Fair and National Western Stock Show.
Does Linn County Fair Association have an API?
No public API is recorded for Linn County Fair Association.
What industry is Linn County Fair Association in?
Linn County Fair Association's product category is County Fair & Event Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAHAAAH, Fairgrounds & Expo Parks, with a secondary code of MPAGAFAO, Local Community & Multi-Category Fairs. Its NAICS code is 7131 and its SIC code is 7900.