Rides, games and food drew tens of thousands to this year's Ingham County Fair. I stopped by on the fair's last day Saturday, to learn what it takes to put on the event.
- The Ingham County Fair attracted an estimated 80,000 visitors this year, making it a record year according to organizers.
- Skerbeck Entertainment Group has partnered with the Ingham County Fair for about 18 years to bring the carnival experience.
- According to organizers, setting up the fair requires about 70 truckloads of equipment, a 12-hour setup, 8-hour tear down, and 100 staff members.
WATCH: Behind the scenes at the Ingham County Fair
The fair requires extensive planning and coordination behind the scenes.
"Oh my gosh. It is so much hard work. We set up, you know, it takes us almost a full day's worth of work to set up and then we stay up until two or three in the morning to tear down," said Sophie Skerbeck, who runs one of the carnival games.
Sophie's mom Sonja Skerbeck is one of the owners of Skerbeck Entertainment Group. She tells me they've partnered with the Ingham County Fair to bring the carnival experience to life for about 18 years.
When asked about attendance, Sonja had positive news to share.
"My estimate is probably 80,000 people. We're finishing really strong, and we're gonna have a record year. I can say that with certainty," Sonja said.
Mackenzie Langham, who runs another carnival game, described the demanding schedule of moving from one fair to the next.
"So you tear everything down, and sometimes we rest. And then the next morning, we're moving to the next spot. And then the day after that, it's immediately all set back up again," Langham said.
Sonja explained that the ability to put on an event of this scale didn't happen overnight. Skerbeck Entertainment has been operating for more than 170 years.
"It takes a lot of planning. A lot of logistical effort," Sonja said.
The planning involves 70 truckloads of equipment, a 12-hour setup, 8-hour tear down, and 100 staff, Sonja said.
"I think all the work is definitely worth it in the end," Sophie said.
Even with the lights and music of the fair Saturday night, the fairgrounds will be empty come Sunday morning.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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