Sweeney Dealerships Named Sponsor of Canfield Fair

BOARDMAN, Ohio – In just six weeks the gates of the Canfield Fair will again be open to the public, this year with a first for the 172-year-old fair: official sponsors.

On Monday, Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC and the Canfield Fair announced a $60,000 deal that includes placing Sweeney logos at each gate and branding on the fair’s promotional materials.

“We recognize the value of the fair to not only our family but to thousands of customers that we serve in the valley,” said Alexa Sweeney Blackann, vice president of Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC.

Added Canfield Fair Board President Dave Dickey, “The fair costs a lot of money to put on. Its our duty and job to keep the prices down. The Sweeney sponsorship is not only keeping the prices down, but they also represent a great brand in the valley.”

The Canfield Fairgrounds occupies 353 acres with more than 60 buildings, barns and a grandstand. The six-day event traditionally includes truck and tractor pulls, a demolition derby, rides, livestock, arts & crafts, live performances and scores of food vendors. This year’s event features Christian contemporary music star Matthew West and Country music star Toby Keith.

“We worked with Prodigal Marketing to do some other sponsorships,” said Dickey. “We have sponsors for our shuttle service, golf carts and parking lots. Our overall sponsorship is with Sweeney though, they really stepped up and agreed with our offers.”

Prodigal President Jeff Hedrich said that there are dozens of other contributors such as Akron Children’s Hospital, which sponsors children’s day on opening day of the fair.

“They have a significant impact but by far Sweeney’s is the largest,” said Hedrich. “Sweeney are considered a ‘presenting’ sponsor. Every time you see the name Canfield Fair in print, you will see the Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC brand.”

Other sponsors for the fair include Dickey Electric, Eastern Gateway Community College, Farmers National Bank, Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics, 7 17 Credit Union and Boardman Printing.

Blackann said that the only reason the dealership can do this is through the great support from the community.

“Customers gained and car sales make these kinds of sponsorships possible,” she said. “We recognize that we have a responsibility to give back. That’s part of our culture and we take that seriously.”

Founded in 1921, the Sweeney dealerships have been some of the area’s top-selling stores this year. According to monthly sales reports from the Greater Cleveland Automobile Dealers Association, the two stores – one for Chevrolet, the other for Buick and GMC – have consistently ranked in the top five for new-car sales. The Chevrolet store has ranked No. 1 in such sales in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties all but one month this year.

Pictured: Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC Vice President Alexa Sweeney Blackann and Canfield Fair Board President Dave Dickey announced the dealership will be the fair’s official sponsor Monday morning.

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.