
How the Calgary Sherwood Forest Fair was one of the best in the world
With its fairytale theme, the Calgary sherwood forest fair was the most expensive in the country last year, but it was still the most profitable.
For every dollar that people spent, a family got $1.50 worth of tickets.
That was according to the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, which estimates that, over the course of the year, about 2,000 families made a profit.
In contrast, Toronto’s Fairmont Fairgrounds generated about $1 million in sales.
“If you’re going to have a fair, and you’re not going to do it well, you’re always going to lose money,” said Jim Schoenfeld, president and CEO of the Calgary chapter of the Canadian Association of Sherwood Forests.
The Sherwood Fairgrounds, located in the heart of Calgary, was the largest outdoor fair in North America last year.
But the event’s organizers are trying to change that.
They have introduced a series of changes to make the event more financially viable.
For one, the Sherwood Festival is being split into two weekends, which will be run by the Calgary Convention and Visitors Bureau, and by the Sherburne Foundation.
This is aimed at making the Sherbrook Festival more attractive to visitors, especially those from out of town.
In addition, Sherwood has been expanding the Sherwoods Family Day, which is a celebration of all that Sherwood means to people.
The event will be held this year from Friday to Sunday, and the first two weekends will be at Sherwood’s historic downtown.
And last week, the company announced that Sherwoods Fairgrounds is going to be adding a $20 entry fee to the fairgrounds.
“We want to make it as affordable as possible, because there’s no question that the Sherries are a huge part of Calgary,” said Schoenfeld.
“And that is one of those things that we feel is really important.”
With files from The Canadian Press