There is no question that the annual Trigg County Country Ham Festival brings considerable revenue into the Cadiz community.
Locals and visitors alike pour in for three fun-filled days every fall, and spend hard-earned money on gasoline, trinkets, carnival rides, fair food, T-shirts, swag — and maybe, just maybe, spend the night in town and bring business throughout.
But in the wake of hamming it up, three questions always remain:
+ Who is truly in charge of the event’s ultimate design and success?
+ Does this celebration actually make any money?
+ And how much does it actually cost Trigg County and its municipalities to host the show, and does that labor impact the bottom line?
With the 49th version in the rearview, this was a big topic of discussion during Tuesday night’s Cadiz City Council meeting, in which City Administrative Officer Jack Lingenfelter laid out what was a comprehensive outline of actual cost.
According to Lingenfelter, 10 line items consisted of all the sincere spending needed for the weekend:
+ 34.7% went to payroll and allocations for county and city staff
+ 24.5% went to Peak Audio Visual LLC for stage and production
+ 8% went to entertainer Bryan White
+ 8% went to Action Entertainment LLC
+ 7.9% went to Hurricane Creek Tradition
+ 6.4% went to Phillip Peterson and the petting zoo
+ 3.0% went to Eugene Ewing
+ 2.8% went to Brian Hill
+ 2.5% went to Caledonia Cart Rentals
+ And 2.2% went to Cayce Mill Supply Company
All told, Lingenfelter said this came out to more than $113,000, which in turn was offset by more than $7,700 in accessory sales, $34,750 in sponsorships, $18,100 in carnival rides and $32,000 in booth sales and vendor fees.
This, he added, equates to a $21,000 realized loss — something he said Cadiz has been experiencing year after year, despite many saying “the festival makes money.”
For reference, Lingenfelter said there was a $75,000 line item for the Ham Festival in the city’s FY2026 budget.
However, Lingenfelter attests that other miscellaneous operational expenses, city equipment uses and what not pertaining to the festival have also been absorbed by other budgets, and that previous “profits” aren’t readily accessible — nor have accounting and cost-tracking practices been updated and utilized.
Lingenfelter also confirmed that the City of Cadiz performed well operationally during this year’s party, which has been deemed a success on all fronts, while requiring what he said was the lowest amount of personnel costs in recent memory.
In response, Cadiz-Trigg County Tourism Director and current Trigg County Country Ham Festival Committee Chair Beth Sumner said she appreciated the transparent reporting and thorough vetting — but took some umbrage with what is perceived as a budget deficit.
Tourism, she said, puts up no less than $20,000 for entertainment and another $10,000 in its own budget for radio, digital and print festival advertising — not to mention other tertiary needs.
As far as shouldering costs, it’s the City of Cadiz that must carry the insurance, meaning they hold the burden of liability with overtime and worker’s compensation, if needed. Also, major changes aren’t always needed year to year, but Sumner said it’s possible the big biscuit oven may soon need repairs — and she knows that isn’t free.
However, in this vein of success and manpower, Assistant Cadiz Police Chief Tristan Wampler confirmed that only one singular arrest had to be made on the festival’s grounds, and that installed traffic data collectors captured at least 25,000 cars along Main Street leading into the weekend, and around 18,000 through Friday and Saturday.
Lingenfelter also announced that a new contract was signed October 31 with current fair operators in Great American Carnival, expanding the partnership through 2036.
The next Trigg County Country Ham Festival Committee meeting is set for Friday, November 14.
FULL DISCUSSION:
