Cooper County Fair loses $5,000 deposit after carnival contractor shuts down

The Cooper County Fair Board lost the $5,000 deposit it paid to a carnival company after the business abruptly shut down just one week before this year's fair.

Amusement Associates LLC, the fair's contracted ride provider, ceased operations effective immediately after announcing it could no longer afford insurance for its rides. The company let fair organizers know about the closure last Monday.

The fair board was left scrambling for a replacement for its carnival rides, but was ultimately unable to find one.

"We just brought back the carnival," said Nathan Alpers, the Cooper County Fair Board Vice President. "We brought it back last year, and now it's gone. We need a routine. We need consistency."

In a letter to clients, Amusement Associates representative Arthur McCarthy said liability insurance costs had risen to between $6,000 and $7,000 per event. Combined with increasing labor costs, the expenses made it impossible for the company to continue operating.

Before the company shut down, the Cooper County Fair had already paid a $5,000 deposit toward its $12,000 carnival contract. Fair officials now say that money is gone.

"The first message I could say to everybody that was hoping to come ride the rides and enjoy the carnival, is that we're sorry," Alpers said. "Our hands are tied. It was out of our control."

While the carnival rides are gone, Alpers said most of the fair will continue as planned.

"It's pretty much the same fair we've always had at Cooper County, minus some rides," Alpers said. "We're going to have putt-putt golf, a dunk tank and a hang-time game."

The fair also features a livestock fair, contests, fair food, live music and more.

Despite the financial setback, Alpers said the board is already looking ahead. Members have begun requesting quotes from carnival operators for next year's fair in hopes of avoiding a similar situation.

The Cooper County fair runs Monday through Saturday this week.