Hamilton County Fair (Cincinnati, Troy, Butler: 2009, attorney, new home)

[hillside]

Originally Posted by Hartwell Girl

No, not really because mr boojangles makes this stuff up as he goes to try and get the Fair to move to the west side of Hamilton County. Kinda reminds me of someone else on here who likes to "over express" crime issues in Cincinnati to fit his views.

bond hill, northside, and avondale are my homes. i grew up with a front-row seat to the madness that is cincinnati. it's a once-mighty city with mighty troubles. where have you been?

[Hartwell Girl]

Originally Posted by hillside

bond hill, northside, and avondale are my homes. i grew up with a front-row seat to the madness that is cincinnati. it's a once-mighty city with mighty troubles. where have you been?

Right here Hillside.....and the Fair, which is what this thread is about, is located in Carthage. If you want the Fair to move then say it, but the crutch excuse of security is not a valid arguement to move the Fair to another location. Were you at the Fair meeting on Thursday? Did you hear all the questions from attendees who want it to stay where it is? One person brought up safety and it was not well received by locals who know the area from living there much longer than I have lived here.
The Fair is not only about the exhibits for those who take the time to put the work into all they do but it is also a learning tool that children/families/seniors from all over to enjoy once a year. Also, the children who are able to enjoy the free afternoons with Cincinnati Recreation summer camp during the summer have a great time..I worry they wont be able to attend the event if it is moved to the western part of Hamilton County. Dont you think the location of the Fair should play into this debate so it can be available to everyone? Carthage is right next to I-75, the Norwood lateral, and Cross County and on a bus line...would any other location be that accessible? I am not sure if you feel Carthage is unsafe Hillside but many neighborhoods in the City of Cincinnati are frustrated about being lumped into the perception that the City is not safe. How would you suggest we get past that?

[hillside]

the city is 'the city'. it's an entity, and under the umbrella of cincinnati, ohio, it isn't safe and that reputation is fair. sure, some areas are better than others, but in "the city", all and everywhere is fair game, especially in the northern parts of the city we're talking about. carthage isn't avondale, but it ain't mt. adams either. the income level isn't high enough to completely segregate things like the money in mt. adams and eden park does to keep the elements of otr and walnut hills from creeping in. carthage is lower middle class at best, so the safety concerns are valid.

i don't think the fair should be moved. it has to stay in the city, and the location is good from a transportation angle. the problem with the fair is that it's off-brand and an embarrassment to cincinnati. if we didn't have a mudpit for a fairground, with jimmy-rigged facilities and rag-tag events, people would show up and a lot of the crime problems would stop. it's a crappy venue and a sorry program, nothing more.

[Hartwell Girl]

So is it really about those organzing it and the lack of funds given to the Fair by the County (state minimum) when other countys give thousands more to producing a good venue and program? And why are there no records of calls to police for mentioned problems at that location?
And should a neighborhood be punished for not wanting to segregate a neighborhood?

[The Don]

I have not been to the Hamiton County Fair but I regularly go to the Harvest Home Fair in Cheviot. This year, the fair takes place on Friday Sept. 5 through Sunday Sept 7. It is preceded by a gigantic parade on Thursday evening.

It would be interesting if any of you Hamilton County Fair aficionados have the time to check it out and see how it compares with what you remember the county fair being like.

[tntnb]

carthage is lower middle class at best, so the safety concerns are valid.

You know, a lot of suburban types consider downtown and Over-the-Rhine unsafe too, but they still flock to events like Taste of Cincinnati, Oktoberfest, and Reds/Bengals games.

it's a crappy venue and a sorry program, nothing more.

This, I think, is the crux of the problem. I don't mean to offend anyone, but the Fair has evolved into a pretty downscale event. This is the widely held perception of the fair, at least.

Businesses and other organizations are going to partner with events that will draw potential customers. To be blunt, the type of person who might be attracted to a freak show or five straight nights of demolition derbies is probably not the demographic most businesses are looking for.

The Fair needs to make a strong, public effort to “class itself up” a bit in order to attract both corporate sponsors as well as the type of folks who would actually be interested in booths full of art, music, and being "green in the city."

Someone else mentioned the Harvest Home Fair on the west side. The HamCo Fair Board could take some pointers from this event. I hope some of them will attend the HHFair in a couple of weeks and take notes.

[Hartwell Girl]

Very well said tntnb. I cant express enough that I BELIEVE the problem with the Fair is not safety, not location, but the people who organize it. They tell you to tell them what you think should be done to improve the Fair and if you bring a new idea, its "well, you gonna run it?". I hate to say this but it feels like a few of them almost want it to fail at its current site SO it has to move. I just wish someone would remove the bad elements from the board so they can focus on the important things like getting this Fair planned for next year!

[tntnb]

Originally Posted by Hartwell Girl

Very well said tntnb. I cant express enough that I BELIEVE the problem with the Fair is not safety, not location, but the people who organize it. They tell you to tell them what you think should be done to improve the Fair and if you bring a new idea, its "well, you gonna run it?". I hate to say this but it feels like a few of them almost want it to fail at its current site SO it has to move. I just wish someone would remove the bad elements from the board so they can focus on the important things like getting this Fair planned for next year!

I see that the Fair is soliciting volunteers to serve on committees here:

Volunteers

I've signed up for one or two. I guess this is "put-up-or-shut-up" time. Anyone who might want to help make next year's fair a little better, here's your chance . . .

[Hartwell Girl]

Yes, I have seen it. Hopefully they can get a few new people who want to help the event, maybe even fill a few seats on the Fair Board...

[The Don]

Originally Posted by tntnb

I see that the Fair is soliciting volunteers to serve on committees here:

Volunteers

I've signed up for one or two. I guess this is "put-up-or-shut-up" time. Anyone who might want to help make next year's fair a little better, here's your chance . . .

Exactly.. you are either part of the problem or part of the solution.