Funding guidance has been issued for fairs and livestock shows in Arkansas, aimed at helping recipients comply with legislative requirements. This guidance is relevant to all funding recipients, including county fairs, district fairs, the Arkansas State Fair, the Arkansas Youth Expo, and district junior livestock shows.
Funding allocations will be determined by the annual appropriation bill from the Arkansas Department of Agriculture, as approved by the General Assembly. Permitted expenditures include operational costs directly related to the fair or livestock show, infrastructure, equipment, and educational programming. However, spending on association fees or dues is prohibited.
Recipients must submit several reports to both the Department of Agriculture and the Arkansas Legislative Council by June 30 each year. These include proof of annual continuing education, an annual financial report detailing state funding use for the previous fiscal year, an operating plan for the upcoming year, and a certificate of good standing from the Secretary of State. Reports should be submitted online through Arkansas Funding for Fairs and Livestock Shows Reporting.
Annual continuing education is mandatory for funding recipients. Topics may cover financial management, grant compliance, event safety, and agriculture education.
Each county fair board must have a county extension agent as a non-voting ex officio member. If a fair uses county facilities or receives county funds, its documentation must be reviewed by the county’s Quorum Court before submission to the Department and Legislative Audit.
Counties are organized into various districts: North Central District includes Cleburne, Fulton, Izard, Sharp, Stone, and Van Buren County; Northeast District includes Clay through White County; Northwest District includes Baxter through Searcy County; South Arkansas District includes Arkansas through Prairie County; Southwest Arkansas District includes Clark through Union County; Arkansas-Oklahoma District includes Benton through Yell County; Tri-County Fair covers Lee through Phillips County. The Four States Fair in Texarkana is treated as a district fair.
For inquiries about requirements and funding details, Alex Johnston can be contacted at alex.johnston@agriculture.arkansas.gov.
This guidance follows Act 933 of 2025.
Information from this article can be found here.
