Open Productions announced the sale of Rummage-A-Rama! to the Washington County Fair Park and Conference Center. Open Productions has been on the lookout for a buyer of the event since early this year, and recently finalized the deal.
Rummage-A-Rama’s Milwaukee roots go back to 1970 when Wally Rasner started the show at WI State Fair Park. Over the years, the monthly event grew tremendously and became a Milwaukee staple. The show then went dormant in 2001 when the building it occupied was torn down to make room for the WI Expo Center.
In 2009, Open Productions co-owner, Tim Gill, contacted Rasner in his retirement to discuss the possibility of purchasing the trade name to continue the tradition. Gill has been promoting the show four to five times per year since, and recently moved the event to the Milwaukee County Sports Complex in Franklin to allow for more room and free parking.
Gill and co-owner, Greg Edlund, are going to use the sale of this event to allow them to focus on other brands they promote, including the WI Antique & Vintage Show, the Greater Milwaukee Fishing Expo, and re:Craft and Relic, an upcycling, repurposing, and vintage show, taking place this weekend at the Sports Complex.
The Washington County Fair Park is not new to operating their own events. “We are excited to add Rummage-A-Rama! to our line up of signature events,” says Marketing Director, Derek Kozlowski. “We deeply respect the longevity of the franchise and look forward to bringing these events to our location where we fully expect them to thrive and continue to grow into the future. We will work hard to make the transition as seamless as possible for everyone involved.”
Future event dates have already been set for October 15-16, 2016, February 18-19, 2017, and June 17-18, 2017.
The Washington County Agricultural and Industrial Society is a 501C3 nonprofit whose mission is to enrich life with educational, cultural, economic and social opportunities. This is accomplished through a variety of onsite, multi-cultural events, including the annual Washington County Fair, large 4-H involvement, and a convention center with over 50,000 square feet of exhibition space, hosting hundreds of events each year.
Sandy Lang
Executive Director
Washington County Fair Park & Conference Center
Photo courtesy highplainsthrifter.net