Mercer County Fairgrounds, Inc.

What Mercer County Fairgrounds, Inc. does

Mercer County Fairgrounds, Inc. is a private nonprofit organization operating under the Mercer County Agricultural Society that runs a 60-acre, 30-building multi-purpose event venue in Celina, Ohio. Its flagship offering is the annual Mercer County Fair — the 174th edition scheduled for August 13-19, 2026 — a week-long program of agricultural exhibitions, livestock shows, carnival rides, concerts (such as Forever Seger and Jake Owen), rodeo, and demo derbies, drawing attendance from Mercer County and the surrounding region. Year-round operations extend the asset base through facility rentals (Grand Event Center, Market Hall) for weddings, banquets, and corporate events, on-site camping, and seasonal attractions including the Halloween Campout, the Nelson's Birthday Bash, and the Merry & Bright drive-through Christmas Lights event (November 28 – December 24).

The organization runs an event-driven go-to-market with no proprietary technology platform. Ticketing is delivered through Etix, on-site gate sales, and direct booking (phone: 419-586-3239) for camping and facility rentals. Digital presence consists of the mercercountyohiofair.com website, email/text newsletter sign-ups, and calendar integrations with Google Calendar, iCalendar, Microsoft Outlook 365, and Outlook Live. There is no mobile app, no API, no disclosed AI/ML capabilities, and no patents or trademarks on file.

Revenue is generated across four streams: (1) transaction-fee style ticket and admission sales for the fair and ancillary events, (2) facility rental income from weddings, banquets, and corporate events, (3) tiered sponsorship programs — Overall Sponsors, General Sponsors, Special Event Sponsors, and Christmas Lights tiers — driven by a network of 100+ local business partners including Mercer Health, Grand Lake Health System, Fennig Equipment, St Henry Tile Co., and JW Productions, and (4) vehicle admission fees for the Christmas Lights display ($10 per car on Thursdays/Sundays, $15 on Fridays/Saturdays, $25 for 10+ passenger vehicles, cash only). The company is privately held by the Mercer County Agricultural Society with no parent company, no outside investors, no disclosed funding rounds, and no management team information publicly available. Headcount is reported as 11-50 employees.

Name

Mercer County Fairgrounds, Inc.

Legal name

Mercer County Fairgrounds, Inc.

Website

https://mercercountyohiofair.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1852

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Mercer County Fairgrounds, Inc. operates a nonprofit 60-acre event venue in Celina, Ohio, hosting the annual Mercer County Fair plus year-round facility rentals, camping, the Merry & Bright Christmas Lights, and weddings, banquets, and concerts for the Mercer County community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Event Venue and Fairground Operations

NAICS

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71), Other Spectator Sports (711219)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Services-Racing, Including Track Operation (7948)

akta.pro primary industry

Fairgrounds & Expo Parks (THAHAAAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Festival Grounds & Fairgrounds Operations (MPAGALAH), Venue-Owned/Operated Event Organizers (In-House Promoters) (MPAKADAI), Specialty & Historic Venues (Landmarks, Estates) (THAHAAAK)

Keywords

• Event venue rentals
• County fair operations
• Fairground facilities
• Seasonal event hosting
• Camping and banquet rentals

Headquarters

HQ city

Celina

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Event Tickets and Admissions: Revenue generated from fair admission tickets, carnival ride tickets, concert/show tickets, and rodeo/demo derby tickets sold through Etix ticketing platform.
2. Facility Rentals: Year-round rental income from camping sites, facility usage for weddings, banquets, and other private events at the Grand Event Center + Market Hall.
3. Sponsorships: Tiered sponsorship programs including Overall Sponsors, General Sponsors, Special Event Sponsors, and various Christmas Lights sponsors (Light the Night, Silver Bells, Jingle Bells, Sleigh Bells).
4. Christmas Lights Event: Vehicle admission fees for Merry & Bright Christmas Lights event: $10/car (Thursdays/Sundays), $15/car (Fridays/Saturdays), $25 for 10+ passenger vehicles.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Mercer County Fairgrounds operates a 60-acre, 30-building event venue in Celina, Ohio, hosting the annual week-long Mercer County Fair with agricultural exhibitions, carnival rides, concerts, rodeos, and demo derbies. The facility also offers year-round services including on-site camping, banquet/wedding facility rentals at the Grand Event Center and Market Hall, and the seasonal Merry & Bright drive-through Christmas Lights display. Tickets are sold via the Etix platform and on-site; facility rentals are handled through direct inquiry.

Product overview

Mercer County Fairgrounds operates as a multi-purpose event venue offering the annual Mercer County Fair as its core product, supplemented by facility rentals (weddings, banquets), year-round camping, the Merry & Bright Christmas Lights seasonal event, and attractions like Nelson the Sasquatch. The venue also hosts third-party events including elections, blood drives, and conferences through facility rentals. Tickets for fair events and concerts are sold through Etix, and the venue provides calendar integrations for Google Calendar, iCalendar, and Outlook for event discovery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mercer County Fair Annual week-long county fair held in August featuring agricultural exhibitions, livestock shows, carnival rides, concerts, demo derbies, rodeos, and family entertainment. Tickets sold through Etix and on-site.
• Camping Facilities Year-round on-site camping available at the fairgrounds for a small fee, including seasonal events such as the Halloween Campout and Nelson's Birthday Bash.
• Facility Rentals (Grand Event Center + Market Hall) Rental of fairgrounds buildings including Market Hall and the Grand Event Center for weddings, banquets, conferences, trade shows, and other private events; bookings via direct inquiry at 419-586-3239.
• Merry & Bright Christmas Lights Annual drive-through Christmas light display event held November through December, featuring festive decorations and sponsored light installations; vehicle admission priced at $10/car (Thu/Sun), $15/car (Fri/Sat), $25 for 10+ passenger vehicles, cash only.
• Nelson the Sasquatch Attraction 27-foot wooden Sasquatch statue attraction built during the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse, located at the Main Gate and available for free public viewing 24/7.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Mercer Health (Overall Christmas Lights Sponsor)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerMercer Health serves as the Overall Sponsor for the Merry & Bright Christmas Lights event, providing primary sponsorship for the annual holiday light display running November 28 - December 24.
• Fennig Equipment LLCminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLight the Night sponsor for Merry & Bright Christmas Lights event.
• T-102 (iHeart Radio)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerLight the Night sponsor and local radio partner providing event promotion.
• WKKI (K94)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerLight the Night sponsor and local radio station partner.
• WCSM RadiominorGTM or Marketing PartnerLight the Night sponsor and local radio partner.
• Celina EaglesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLight the Night sponsor for Christmas Lights event.
• Celina MooseminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLight the Night sponsor for Christmas Lights event.
• Grand Lake Health SystemminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLight the Night sponsor for Christmas Lights event.
• St Henry Tile Co.minorGTM or Marketing PartnerLight the Night sponsor for Christmas Lights event.
• JW ProductionsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLight the Night sponsor providing sound/production services for Christmas Lights event.
• Etix (Ticketing Platform)coreTechnology or IntegrationPrimary online ticketing partner for selling fair admission, carnival, concert, rodeo, and demo derby tickets.
• Amy Sprunger PhotographyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPhotography services provider for the fair photo gallery.
• Brand It Marketing and CommunicationsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPhotography services provider for the fair photo gallery.
• Rachel Ann Design and MarketingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPhotography services provider for the fair photo gallery.
• Grand Event Center + Market HallcoreOthersCo-branded event venue operated in conjunction with the fairgrounds, hosting weddings, banquets, and other private events.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Iowa State Fair: Iconic, large-scale Midwestern state fair operated on a multi-acre fairgrounds in Des Moines with livestock, carnival, grandstand entertainment, and extensive year-round facilities. Same agricultural fair DNA as Mercer County but at a structurally larger scale, providing a top-end benchmark for programming and sponsor monetization.
• Indiana State Fairgrounds & Event Center: Larger, more institutionally scaled state-level fairgrounds in Indianapolis that hosts a multi-week state fair plus major year-round trade shows, concerts, and livestock events. Overlaps with Mercer County on the agricultural fair and venue-rental category but at materially greater scale and with year-round professional management.
• Ozark Empire Fairgrounds: Springfield, Missouri regional fairgrounds and event center hosting an annual fair plus year-round trade shows, livestock events, and facility rentals under a county agricultural society charter. Same fair-and-rentals product mix as Mercer County Fairgrounds but with a broader geographic catchment and larger facility footprint.
• Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo: Premier livestock exhibition and rodeo in Houston, Texas, supported by a 350-acre NRG Park complex and a multi-thousand-volunteer nonprofit structure. Overlaps with Mercer County on rodeo, livestock, and nonprofit fair governance, but with a vastly larger entertainment, sponsorship, and real-estate profile.
• Erie County Agricultural Society / Erie County Fair: Long-running county agricultural society that runs the Erie County Fair in Hamburg, NY — historically one of the largest county fairs in the U.S. Overlaps with Mercer County in agricultural-fair product and nonprofit governance but at substantially greater attendance and a more developed entertainment slate.

Direct peers

• Shelby County Agricultural Society / Shelby County Fairgrounds: West-central Ohio county agricultural society hosting the annual Shelby County Fair with carnival, livestock shows, tractor pulls, and year-round event rentals. Same nonprofit Agricultural Society charter and a closely comparable footprint and programming mix.
• Darke County Agricultural Society / Darke County Fairgrounds: Neighboring Ohio county agricultural society that runs an annual county fair of comparable size and rural-community character to the Mercer County Fair. Operates the same model: week-long summer fair, livestock/agriculture exhibitions, facility rentals, and seasonal events under a nonprofit agricultural society structure, making the operating economics directly comparable.
• Van Wert County Agricultural Society / Van Wert County Fairgrounds: Northwest Ohio county agricultural society running an annual county fair plus facility rentals in a similarly sized rural community. Directly comparable in scale, governance (nonprofit agricultural society), and product offering (livestock, carnival, motorsports/derby, camping).
• Allen County Agricultural Society / Allen County Fairgrounds: Ohio county agricultural society operating the Allen County Fair in Lima — a slightly larger version of the Mercer County model (multi-day agricultural fair, carnival, concerts, rodeo, demo derby, on-site camping, year-round facility rentals). Directly comparable in product mix, charter, and operating model.
• Auglaize County Agricultural Society / Auglaize County Fairgrounds: Adjacent west-central Ohio county agricultural society running a similar annual county fair plus year-round facility rentals. Same nonprofit charter, similar rural demographic base, and effectively the same product offering (livestock shows, carnival, demo derby, rodeo-style entertainment), making it the closest benchmark for Mercer County's revenue and attendance economics.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mercer-county-fairgrounds-celina-ohio

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Mercer County Fairgrounds, Inc.