PROCEEDINGS IOWA FAIR MANAGERS ASSN. 217 



vStating he got his money back from all Iowa fairs except one. I 

 was wondering whether he was a Har or who. 



Mr. Bacon : Next question : ''Have any of the fairs put on a the- 

 atrical play in front of the grand stand at night as a free attraction 

 instead of fireworks, and if so was it satisfactory from all points." 



A Member : I handed the question in, and the reason I handed it 

 in, the free entertainment in the day time some of them stated was 

 the same at night. I was talking with a gentleman who said up here 

 at Strawberry Point they put on a theatrical play and he said it was 

 a success, they were going back there this year for a return engage- 

 ment. So I hunted up the representative here today from Straw- 

 berry Point, and he said that they put this company on clear across 

 the track on a platform and he said he stood up in the grand stand 

 to see if he could hear them, and he could hear just as plain as if 

 they had been in an auditorium. He said they would be back next 

 year. He said the crowd just cheered. He said it was a money- 

 maker to them. He said they drew a crowd. 



A Member : There was a company came over a few years ago 

 and put up a tent in town and killed our night show, and we begged 

 and pleaded with the city council and finally got them to come across 

 and now he comes to our fair and he shows at night, splits 50-50 

 with us. We have a big platform across the track from the grand 

 stand and he has a stage and scenery and everything there the same 

 as in a theater and put chairs on the racetrack just as thick as 

 they can be, fill that whole thing full every night of the show in 

 good weather. 



A Member : Down in Mills county we put on a musical show this 

 fall instead of fireworks. Everybody was pleased with it. Had a 

 stand across the track and we put a lot of extra seats down in front 

 of the grand stand. Just put this show on instead of firew^orks and 

 it brought them out. 



A Member : In Winnebago county our report of the grand stand 

 admissions is nearly the same in the evening as it is in the day time. 

 We put on a theatrical show three nights, three different plays. We 

 attribute to that the cause of the crowds coming, all well pleased 

 and they wanted that same thing over again. 



Mr. Bacon: The next question: "Have any of the fair boards in 

 arranging free attractions confined themselves to independent com- 

 panies ?" 



