Oregon Public Broadcasting

Oregon State Fair opened its gates Friday for the 144th time. Through September 1st the fairgrounds in Salem will host all kinds of entertainment from animal exhibitions and baking contests to sports and concerts.

A few years ago, the fair suffered from severe financial problems. In  2005, the state legislature moved the fair to the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.

Dave Koellermeier is the fair manager. He says the fair's finances today are better but still not perfect.

Dave Koellermeier: “If you look at the eleven-day-run of the state fair, and if you just looked at cash-in, cash-out, we’re really getting pretty close to what I call break even. However, that’s not a very real-world scenario. We really still have a debt issue to resolve.”

The fair is trying to cope with the financial issues by attracting more people.

Koellermeier says adding new venues has already increased the time people spend at the fair.

The number of visitors has also risen in the past two years. This year organizers are expecting more than 350,000.