The Merced County Fair Board of Directors has appointed John Allgaier as the new chief executive officer of the Merced County Fair (35th District Agricultural Association).
The 58-year-old Allgaier succeeds longtime CEO Teresa Burrola, who retired earlier this summer after nearly 27 years of service.
Allgaier brings more than 30 years of experience in fair industry including live entertainment, event productions, strategic planning and marketing. He was selected from a competitive pool of candidates through a formal recruitment process conducted in partnership with the California Department of Food & Agriculture (CDFA).
“John stood out for his deep industry knowledge, creative vision and collaborative spirit,” said Mark Erreca, the president of the Fair Board. “We’re excited to welcome him to Merced and confident he’ll help our Fair, building on our rich history and tradition while expanding us into the future.”
Board member Mark Pazin added, “We are very confident of a smooth transition with our new CEO. Teresa Burrola left a turnkey operation, and now that will move forward with John’s vision of broadening the role of the County Fair.”
Allgaier is the founder of BigMe Events, a live performance and event management firm formed in 2011, and president of BC Characters Inc., a live performance and touring company established in 1991. He also consults with public agencies and nonprofits, specializing in growth strategies and operational planning. His fair industry experience includes roles as interim marketing director for the San Mateo County Fair, and talent buyer and entertainment coordinator for the Riverside County Fair & Date Festival and the Yuma County Fair.
“I’m honored and excited to step into this role at such a meaningful time, as the Fair just finished a successful run,” Allgaier said. “The Merced County Fair has a longstanding reputation for bringing the community together to celebrate agriculture, education and entertainment. I look forward to building on that strong foundation with fresh ideas and energy – working with our Fair Board, Friends of the Fair Board, staff and many community partners.”
As CEO, Allgaier will be responsible for leading the 133rd Merced County Fair, scheduled for June 10-14, 2026, and for overseeing the year-round operations of the fairgrounds. A key focus will be diversifying revenue sources through interim rentals and programming, as well as grow the Fair’s annual attendance. Plans are underway for diverse entertainment, expanded youth engagement programs and continued investment in community partnerships.
In his first months as CEO, Allgaier plans to meet with community leaders, agricultural partners, local businesses and nonprofits to listen, learn and explore opportunities for deeper collaboration. His goal is to carry forward the Fair’s mission to meet the needs of the community by providing a fun, safe venue to celebrate Merced County’s agricultural heritage, discover new technology and deliver high-quality entertainment.
During a phone interview with the Times this week, Allgaier revealed that he grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, and had his first taste in the entertainment business as a costume character at Kings Island amusement park. He studied at the University of Cincinnati before transferring to Cal State San Bernardino where he studied business and marketing. It wasn’t long before Allgaier started up his own character company and becoming involved with the Riverside County Fair and others up and down the state His company focused on “strolling” or “grounds” entertainment through the use of costumed characters or mascots.
“It just took off from there,” he said. “As a 21-year-old, it was a lot better than waiting tables.”
Interestingly, one of his first fair contracts was with the Merced County Fair in the early 1990s, back when a 6-day event was managed by CEO Tony Leo.
Allgaier said his touring company eventually took him to more than 1,000 fair and festival events across the country, and even to wonderful tourism locations overseas.
“I’ve done all of your state fairs in one batch or another — The Minnesota State Fair, the New York State Fair, all over Florida, and I’ve been to the Middle East. I was blessed. I got to see a lot of productions and different formats and platforms that fairs use, and hopefully, that’s the reason why I’m here today.”
The new CEO hopes to “support and enhance” the fair going forward.
“This is a great, very close-knit community. And that’s nice to see. That’s the benefit of being in a smaller town. I think I would love to get more partnerships going within the community.
“I would like to grow our brand image, as well as expand so that we bring out more families, with more to see, and more experiences for them.”
Allgaier said he is impressed with the community’s support for the fair, the potential of the facilities, and the current staffing too.
“There’s a vision that we can do more to enhance the events held at the fairgrounds,” he said. “There are underutilized parts in the fairgrounds, and we are in the middle of a lot of upgrades to facilities right now. … The trick is to give people a reason to stay longer. My goal is to have them comeback a second time during multi-day events because there’s something new and exciting coming up.”
Allgaier said he is impressed with the Junior Livestock Auction, and the amount of community support it receives, as well as the Grandstand events where there’s room for including even more action-oriented events.
Meanwhile, the Fair Board is extending its appreciation to outgoing CEO Teresa Burrola for her nearly 27 years of dedicated leadership, which helped grow the Fair’s impact across Merced County.
“Teresa’s passion for the Fair and the community, beautifying the Fair, coupled with her drive to get things done, made her an effective and enjoyable leader,” added Erreca. “We’re incredibly grateful for her work to lead the Fair through unprecedented times for the region, tackle big infrastructure projects and leave us with a strong foundation for continued growth. We look forward to working with John to build on that legacy and take the Merced County Fair to new heights.”