DU QUOIN -The cost of carnival rides, elephant ears and grandstand entertainment at the Du Quoin State Fair can take a heavy toll on a checkbook - just ask the state of Illinois.

The state has lost an average of about $915,000 each year on the week-long event since 2000, but state officials look beyond financial loss when judging the fair's value.

"The investment down there may not be designed to make money for the state but rather to be an economic engine for that region," said Tom Jennings, acting director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture, which oversees operations of both the Du Quoin and Illinois state fairs.

While the Du Quoin fair lost about $900,000 last year, its Springfield counterpart cost the state about $3.4 million in 2007 and an average $3.6 million each year since 2000, according to reports from the Illinois Auditor General's office.

Jennings said it's important to consider tax benefits experienced by Du Quoin and other Southern Illinois cities from lodging, food and travel by fair patrons. Although he wasn't aware of any specific studies done on the Du Quoin fair's economic impact, Jennings estimated the number to be "in the ballpark" of $8 million.

Du Quoin Mayor John Rednour agreed with Jennings, though he could not offer specific numbers, either.

"We just know the restaurants are full, the hotels are full, a lot of people are buying gas," Rednour said. "It's a big time for Southern Illinois. If the fairground wasn't there, it would really hurt us."

Since 2000, revenues at the Du Quoin fair have increased every year except two. Income figures dropped about 15 percent and 2 percent between 2001 and 2002 and 2006 and 2007, respectively. Other years saw increases in the range of 3 percent to 8 percent.

Expenditures, on the other hand, have been up and down. The fair's expenses declined by 29 percent between 2002 and 2003, rose by 60 percent the next year, decreased by 23 percent from 2004 to 2005 and went up 13 percent the following year before settling into a 3 percent decline in 2007.

Fair Manager John Rednour Jr. believes that despite the rising expenses and continued loss by the state, the people of Southern Illinois deserve to have the opportunity for affordable entertainment. He compared the experience to a time when his father took him to the Shrine Circus.

"I still remember that night now," he said. "My dad was my hero for taking me there. Not every person can take their kids to Disneyworld; (only) some can. Doesn't every parent deserve to be a hero to their kids?"

For State Rep. Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro, the fair represents a chance to showcase the state's agricultural offerings while providing an entertaining event simultaneously. The one thing the state needs to do is ensure it doesn't remove money from the Department of Agriculture and spend the money that's there in the appropriate ways, he said.

While the Du Quoin fair continues to lose money each year, the fairgrounds themselves are prospering during the other 51 weeks of the year. Profits from non-fair events like horse shows, RV club outings and demolition derbies have skyrocketed from $9,500 in 2003 to about $120,000 last year.

Rednour Jr. said the fair staff tries to attract more groups to the fairgrounds during the offseason, and the focus now is bringing in multiple day events that will keep people in Southern Illinois, he said.

"I'm glad to see the coal mines are coming back, but tourism is a big thing down here, and I'm not sure how many people know it," Rednour Jr. said.

In addition to seeing the increases in non-fair event profits, officials were also pleased to receive a clean audit in terms of compliance violations this year. In the audit for the two-year period ending Sept. 30, 2005, the fair was hit with eight violations, including inadequate supervision of fair parking, vendors not providing proof of insurance and inadequate control of camping revenue and permits, among others.

The audit for 2006 and 2007 found no violations. Rednour Jr., Jennings and Bost all mentioned that having part-time, seasonal workers can make the full compliance goal difficult because people have to be trained or re-trained every year.

adam.testa@thesouthern.com / 351-5031

2008 Du Quoin State Fair

The 2008 Du Quoin State Fair will kick off Aug. 23 and run through Sept. 1. The fair's theme will be "It's a Jungle in Here," and all five free entertainment shows will feature exotic animals. Fair Manager John Rednour Jr. promised each one will be as educational as it is entertaining. "It's not the old bears riding unicycles deal," he said.