Fair board OKs online grandstand tickets

VW County Fair Board information

The Van Wert County Agricultural Society Board (Fair Board) is now offering online tickets sales for grandstand acts for the 2015 Van Wert County Fair.

The board has contracted with 168 Tickets to provide online bar-coded tickets that purchasers can print from home. The tickets will then be scanned as they enter the grandstand area for ticketed events.

It’s not the first time the Fair Board has attempted to move to online ticketing. Several years ago, online ticketing was attempted, but the cost at that time did not outweigh potential benefits. However, with the fair’s finances improving and online ticketing becoming more affordable, Fair Board members decided to try again this year.

There will be a $2 convenience fee attached to online ticket purchases for events at this fair, which the Fair Board could possibly lower or eliminate in years to come as events become more profitable.

Gate admission tickets, membership tickets and season passes cannot be purchased online at this time, although it could be an option in the future as the crowd attending the fair becomes more digital and more widespread.

“The convenience of one-stop shopping and having all your ‘park passes’ covered upon arrival is invaluable,” said Fair Board Director Sarah Smith.

The first go for the 2015 Fair and its move toward modern online ticketing starts this Saturday, April 18, at 9 a.m. That’s when tickets for the Charlie Daniels Band and Nashville Crush concert, scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, September 1, go on sale online at the fair office, in person or over the phone.

The Fair Board asks for patience with the process from the public and thanks the community for all its positive feedback this past week with the announcement of the return of a headliner to the Van Wert County Fair.