Saratoga Co. Fairground Events Generate Nearly $14 million For Saratoga County

BALLSTON SPA - The weekend events and festivals hosted by the Saratoga County Fairgrounds and Expo Center have been found to inject millions of dollars into the Saratoga County economy each year, according to an economic impact study compiled by Camoin Associates. The Saratoga County Fair Board of Directors commissioned Camoin Associates of Malta to research the economic impact that the events hosted by the Fairgrounds in Ballston Spa have on the Saratoga County economy. The “net new” - visitors from outside Saratoga County - generated almost 14 million dollars and nearly $670,000 in additional taxes, over $309,000 of which stayed in Saratoga County. While the attendees to the annual Fair were split roughly 55 percent local, 45 percent net new, the real eye-opener was the schedule of other events yielding almost 67 percent net new visitors to Saratoga County. Further research showed that visitors to the non-Fair events treated the visit as a “destination event”, spending money on hotels, meals in restaurants before and after the event, gas and other necessities during their stay. It is important to note that nearly 99 percent of the annual million dollar operating budget of the Saratoga County Agricultural Society is self-generated, with less than $15,000 being recouped by State and County programs that are involved with marketing and premium reimbursement for competitors at the Fair. The Fairgrounds are owned and operated by the Saratoga County Agricultural Society, a recognized 501c3 that was first incorporated in 1841.