Please reach us at rentals@loraincountyfair.com if you cannot find an answer to your question.
Fairs Forever is a transformational campaign backed by the Lorain County Senior Fair Board to invest in the long-term future of the Lorain County Fairgrounds.
The campaign was launched in 2022 to create opportunities for year-round use of the fairgrounds, replace aging facilities, support agriculture and Junior Fair programs and strengthen the financial future of the Lorain County Fair.
Fairs Forever has already helped make two major projects a reality: the Ross Exposition Center and the Maureen M. Cromling Memorial Arena.
These facilities provide modern, versatile spaces for agricultural events, livestock and equine competitions, weddings, trade shows, sporting events, community gatherings and many other events throughout the year.
The next major phase of the campaign is the construction of a new Junior Fair Beef Barn.
Historically, the Lorain County Fairgrounds generated a significant portion of its activity and revenue during fair week.
Creating year-round event facilities provides opportunities to bring additional events and visitors to Wellington and Lorain County while generating revenue that can help support the long-term future of the Lorain County Fairgrounds.
The Ross Exposition Center is a 67,000-square-foot, climate-controlled event facility located at the Lorain County Fairgrounds.
The flexible space can accommodate weddings, trade shows, sporting events, livestock shows, concerts, corporate gatherings, community events and much more.
The Ross Exposition Center is complete and currently accepting event bookings.
The Ross Exposition Center and other Lorain County Fairgrounds facilities are available for rental.
For rental information, availability or to submit an event inquiry, visit the Lorain County Fairgrounds rental website or contact:
Lorain County Fairgrounds Facility Rentals
Phone: 440-896-1166
Email: rentals@loraincountyfair.com
The Maureen M. Cromling Memorial Arena is a 32,000-square-foot, competition-size covered open-air arena designed for equine, livestock and agricultural events.
The arena is complete and available for events and rentals throughout the year.
Replacing the existing Junior Fair Beef facilities is the next major phase of the Fairs Forever campaign.
Construction of a new Beef Barn is expected to begin soon.
The new facility will provide improved accommodations for Junior Fair exhibitors and livestock, including enhanced washing and fitting areas and updated space designed to better serve our agricultural community.
More information and construction updates will be shared as the project moves forward.
Donations to Fairs Forever can be made in a variety of ways, including cash, credit or debit card, stock, qualified charitable distributions, family foundations and other financial gifts.
In-kind gifts of goods, professional services or materials may also be considered.
Donations of all sizes help us continue investing in facilities that support agriculture, youth development and the future of the Lorain County Fair.
Yes. Fairs Forever accepts pledges that may be paid over time. Payments may be arranged quarterly, semi-annually or annually.
Please contact the Fairs Forever fundraising team for additional information about pledge options.
Judy Key • 440-896-1166 • rentals@loraincountyfair.com
Payments can be made in cash, credit/debit card, stock, or qualified charitable distributions. Some payments or pledges can be made in trade at the discretion of the Fair Board ( i.e., grain).
Approximately $11.1 million has been raised from the Lorain County Agricultural Society (Fair Board), individuals, and the County Commissioners. Vendors, corporations, foundations, and other individuals will be approached to donate to this initiative.
The next major phase of Fairs Forever is construction of the new Junior Fair Beef Barn.
With the Ross Exposition Center and Maureen M. Cromling Memorial Arena complete, our focus is now shifting toward providing an improved facility for our Junior Fair Beef exhibitors and families.
Construction is expected to begin soon.
The Lorain County Fair Board identified two major issues:
After discussion and interviews with community leaders and influencers, the Fair Board decided that planning a year-round facility that would serve the community, replacing current buildings and adding a covered arena, were needed. Plans are made, with associated costs, to build an Expo Center, a cattle barn, and a covered horse show arena, along with improved parking area. The Fairs Forever campaign was launched in Spring 2022.
Fairs Forever, a transformational campaign to support Lorain County Fair, launched in spring 2022. The goal of Fairs Forever is to raise $12 million to:
Together, these three items will ensure the long-term viability of Lorain County Fair and its offerings.
Preliminary costs are $12 million to build a new Expo Center, replace the Junior Fair barns with a new barn, add a covered horse show arena, and make parking lot improvements.
The Expo Center will be a year-round facility, climate controlled, that can be configured into a variety of floor plans. It can house weddings as well as sports competitions, exhibit animals, or serve as a sale ring. This facility will also contain bathrooms, a kitchen, and other amenities.
The Expo Center has naming rights associated to anyone who is interested in making an investment in our community.
The pandemic certainly raised some financial issues but, when exploring what needed to be done to secure the financial future of the fairgrounds while maintaining the mission, it was determined that transitioning to a year-round use facility was a good idea. We looked at other organizations that have done that successfully and believed that, as the largest tourist attraction in Lorain County, it was in the community’s best interest to create a facility that could be used for a variety of events all year long.
While the Fair Board is ultimately responsible for the Fairs Forever Campaign, a committee was formed with members of the Fair Board and community members leading the campaign. The committee also includes a professional engineer. Together they are focusing on identifying, soliciting, and securing funds for this project.
Learn more about how you can make an impact on our youth and community for decades.
Help us to build a place to support youth leadership, skill building and to positively impact Lorain County.