Country singer Miranda Lambert doesn't take the stage for another six days, but already her concert and the draw of other big-name entertainers has boosted the Sonoma CountyFair's bottom line.
So has a projected increase in revenue from higher parking fees, up a dollar for lots on Brookwood Avenue and at the Santa Rosa Veterans Memorial Hall.
The extra cash helped bump the fair's total budget by $100,000 this year, to $8.6 million, avoiding a third consecutive year of budget cuts. If the money materializes, it could also lead to an operating profit of $43,000 or more.
But ongoing debt payments on a pair of costly projects — the fairground's five-year-old, $3 million turf racing track and a three-year-old $3.7 million solar power installation — are still expected to result in a $457,000 loss this year.
Like last year, fair officials plan to use reserves to cover that loss. Until they reverse the trend, however, the same annual hit is expected to drain the reserves by 60 percent, or down to $1.2 million by 2013.
"We don't want to head that direction for sure," said Tawny Tesconi, the fair director.
To cut costs, fair officials instituted the same package of furloughs now covering other county employees. They also laid off four full-time workers over the last two years, paring the permanent staff back to 38.
They also have begun requiring competitive bidding for a larger number of contracts and have taken a look at reducing costs for services and supplies provided by outside vendors.
Most other changes have come on the revenue side.
The fair overhauled its entertainment lineup this year after losing about $110,000 last year on shows that were attended largely by those paying only the general fair admission.
Two acts in this year's star-studded lineup at the 4,700-seat Chris Beck Arena will require show tickets ranging from $15 to $45. Mexican cumbia group Banda Cuisillos will perform Sunday, followed by Lambert on Monday. An Aug. 4 show by rock bands Blue Oyster Cult and Foghat will be open to both concert and fair ticketholders.
Officials also added another week of horse racing this year in hopes of drumming up another $100,000 in cash. That cash could boost this year's profits but was not included in budget projections because the expanded schedule wasn't a sure bet.
The racetrack is the fair's biggest money generator, accounting for about $1.5 million in annual revenue. But wagering on horse races is down nationwide by more than 10 percent, according to fair officials, and every year off-site betting steers more of that dwindling action away from the county's track. Last year the county saw a six percent decline in its racetrack receipts.
Still, the presence of a functioning racetrack is a boon to any fair these days, said Stephen Chambers, executive director of the Western Fairs Association.
After Solano County discontinued horse racing and moved its fair up to June this year, it saw a 28 percent decline in attendance.
"It was bound to hurt them in terms of their gate (receipts)," Chambers said.
Other fairs in the Bay Area have had either slight drops or small increases in attendance this year, he said.
Sonoma County has seen attendance grow the past two years by about 1 to 2 percent, a trend that officials hope will continue.
"We have 13 days out of the year to make the lion's share of our revenue," said Tesconi.
After the carnival packs up, the livestock ships out and the entertainment hits the road, officials will return their focus to squeezing more money out of non-fair operations.
Revenue is down 15 percent from the fairgrounds golf course and building rentals for consumer shows, Tesconi said.
To make amends, officials are looking to increase the number of events that pay rental fees and to bring in a permanent food and produce market, Sonoma MarketHall, a plan now making its way through the design process.
They're also hoping to partner with former Wells Fargo Center promoter Rick Bartalini to offer year-round entertainment.
The combination could boost income by another $250,000, Tesconi said. "We're trying every way we can to find another revenue source."
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