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Maui Fair costs to reach $700K

Ticket prices are rising to cover security hikes; contract for carnival rides not yet finalized

By Chris Sugidono 6 min read

The 95th annual Maui Fair is less than a month away and residents should be prepared to pay a little more for admission -- but possibly nothing for the centennial fair.

Tickets at the gate will cost $10 for adults and $5 for children 5 to 11 years old. Last year's prices were $7 and $3, respectively. Children 4 years old and under are still free.

Presale and Sunday tickets will be sold for the cheaper price until Sept. 22. The fair runs from Oct. 5 to 8.

Avery Chumbley, president of the Maui Fair Alliance, on Wednesday attributed the higher admission prices to the Maui Police Department increasing its rate for off-duty officers. He added that the fair had to restructure its internal security workers two years ago.

Security costs have steadily increased every year, and this year the alliance is spending $96,000, Chumbley said. Security had been around $50,000, but it climbed to $72,000 in 2015.

"That is the single highest price item to operate the fair," he said.

While the cost to put on the fair has risen every year, Chumbley said his goal is to have free admission for the 100th fair. He said pulling that off would take a significant amount of sponsors and funding, considering ticket sales are the alliance's largest revenue source.

"To give that up it would be a lot. Maybe we would have to charge a dollar, but even that would only be $80,000," he said. "I'm looking for major corporate sponsors to make the 100th fair an open-admission event. Can you imagine if there is no gate fee how many more people would come and how many more times people would come back to the fair? I think that would really be something."

Hosting this year's fair will likely add up to $700,000 -- eclipsing last year's cost of $687,804. In 2015, the fair cost $638,000 and in 2012 it was $589,000.

Chumbley said the cost jumps around from year to year, depending on the activities, repairs and maintenance. He said several years ago the fair faced financial difficulties, but it survived thanks to an outside donor.

"It's expensive to organize and operate the fair," he said. "Our goal is not to make a profit. Our goal is to sustain a cash flow sufficient to make year-to-year improvements and continue to operate the fair.

Some years we've had a cash surplus and some years a cash deficit."

Over the last two years, the alliance invested money into replacing the roof above the food booths after vendors reported rain leaks, Chumbley said. The alliance is often replacing electrical equipment, and it rents or borrows 85 percent of what it takes to operate the fair.

"We don't have a lot of fixed assets we own," he said.

Tent rentals and electricity cost around $80,000 each, while entertainment accounts for close to $50,000. Insurance for four days costs $30,000 a year and portable bathrooms about $11,000.

Chumbley credited all the rental companies and businesses the alliance works with for making the fair feasible and sustainable. If the vendors were to raise prices, everything else would have to be raised.

"They've held their cost so they're not increasing year after year," he said. "It truly is a community partnership that makes this happen."

One of its longtime partners, E.K. Fernandez Shows, confirmed Wednesday that it will return to the fair this year. The entertainment company manages the rides and carnival games at the fair, with the alliance receiving a percentage of gross sales.

E.K. Fernandez President Scott Fernandez had previously voiced concerns over increased shipping rates that led to the cancellation of the Maui County Carnival in March. The company has yet to sign a contract with the county, but Fernandez said it should be executed soon.

"We've been talking, and it won't be an issue," Fernandez said in a voicemail. "It's just dotting the i's and crossing the t's. We're sending equipment there now so be ready to see the tents being put up. The Maui County fair will be going on as usual, and we look forward to being on Maui shortly."

Although the company is committed to this year's fair, it remained unclear if it would return every year until the 100th. Chumbley said the contract is for only one year -- the shortest contract he has agreed to since running the fair for the past 30 years.

"We've never had a one-year contract," he said. "The last two contracts have been five years each and before that they were three-year contracts.

"It doesn't change anything with the fair, but it just makes me anxious to be able to plan next year and the year after that to get to the 100th."

Chumbley said the Maui Fair was the only one in the state that obtained long-term deals, thanks to its stability, trust and respect between the alliance and E.K. Fernandez Shows. He said he believes the shorter deal is related to the cost of doing business and sustainability of the entertainment company's business.

"It's a difficult operation to run when he (Fernandez) comes to Maui more so than Kona or Kauai," he said. "There's more equipment, more material, more manpower. With such a low unemployment rate here, it's hard to get workers. They want to go to the fair, they don't want to work at the fair."

Fernandez could not be reached Wednesday to explain the one-year contract.

A couple "surprises" are being added to this year's fair, including two new rides, Chumbley said. There also will be a small parade down the main thoroughfare in front of War Memorial Gym and Soichi Sakamoto Pool, Chumbley said.

The parade will include cartoon characters, local entertainment and cheerleading and taiko drum groups. The second entertainment stage near the gym also plans to have an upgraded stage, lighting and sound system.

In preparation for the 100th fair, Chumbley said he hopes to get memorabilia, old newspaper articles and other mementos to commemorate the historic event inside a centennial exhibit. The 100th fair would likely be his last, he said.

"It's such an important grass-roots community event for Maui, and I've seen generations of families raised through the fair," he said. "I know people who started out with me and have had kids and now their kids have kids.

"I've made a commitment to our team to continue to do it until the 100th. After that I think I've done it long enough," he said.

Presale tickets are available at all locations of American Savings Bank, Minit Stop and Valley Isle Community Federal Credit Union; Hawaii USA Federal Credit Union Kahului and Kihei branches; Meadow Gold Dairies, 55 S. Wakea Ave.; and the Maui Fair administrative office in the War Memorial Gym parking lot. That office is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. (Call 242-2721 to make appointment.)

* Chris Sugidono can be reached at csugidono@mauinews.com.

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