What Does the State Fair Do For Our State? SC state fair

Columbia, SC (WLTX) – The State Fair is arguably one of the biggest events of the year here in the Capital City, but does it really help the localeconomy?

While no studies have been done to find out for sure, the long-term effects could be more important.

“What is this event? How many people are coming? How many dollars are actually staying in our economy? How many dollars are actually benefitting local residents?” explained Dr. Rich Harrill.

If you are talking about the State Fair though, a lot of that is still unknown. Harrill is the director of the International Tourism Research Center at the University of South Carolina. Harrill’s department has done studies on the economic impact festivals and attractions have around the state.

Although they have not studied the state fair specifically, “We find in general that these events and programs and projects are pretty positive for South Carolina and positive for Columbia,” he said.

The impact is not just in numbers. According to Harrill, a lot of it has to do with quality of life for the citizens and how much an event is a part of our culture. He added, “Now not everything can be measured in economic impact. I think that one great value about the Fair – the State Fair, festivals, and some other events is that they also do a good job of introducing people to our city.”

That may be the most important stamp the Fair makes on our economy, drawing people in for the long term. Harrill said, “If we have somebody that’s coming from out of state to the fair and they see what a fantastic town Columbia is, they might want to invest in real estate, or stay here.”