County festivals gear up for summer
As the hot summer months approach, the community organizations and Butler County mainstays that organize some of the season’s largest events are already hard at work.
Festivals across the county saw large turnouts last year as residents emerged from a year of stricter COVID-19 safety precautions eager to participate in outdoor activities.
The nine-day-long Big Butler Fair in Prospect, a county attraction for more than 160 years, drew around 100,000 attendees in 2021. Vice president Gavon Slater hopes to replicate those numbers this year, though he worries that inflation threatens to put a damper on attendance.
“One of the things we are thinking about is the gas prices. Is that going to affect people coming?” Slater asked. “During the event, we talk to so many different people, and they come from all over the place.”
Despite those concerns, Slater says the festival’s preparations have not significantly changed. The vendors from last year have all returned, he said, which is “promising.”
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