State Fair attendance continues to show huge numbers
by
Amy West
Story Created:
Sep 2, 2010 at 4:22 PM CST
Story Updated:
Sep 2, 2010 at 5:35 PM CST
Breezy conditions might be working in the state fair's favor because the crowds are blowing in. Tam Allan from the Nebraska Fair Board said when you build a new house and invite people to the housewarming party you never know who's going to come and what they're going to think.
But they said the response from fair goers has been incredible.
Paid attendance from Friday to Tuesday totaled in at more than 120,000 people.
That's up a couple thousand from the 2008 fair Lincoln. That was considered a pretty average year.
The numbers are down nearly 20,000 from 2009's record breaking attendance.
Allan said fair goers came despite the rainy morning Wednesday and attendance for the day was up 25 percent compared with last year's figures from Lincoln.
But organizers said they're not measuring success by numbers.
"Our way that we're really trying to measure success is that whoever does come in that gate we take care of them very well and they want to come back and they want to bring their families and so far I think we've been able to accomplish that," said Allan.
Allan said fair goers are coming in hungry and food venders are seeing record numbers. Venders said Thursday morning was a little slow, maybe the rain and wind got a little too heavy, but it's too early to tell how or if that will affect overall numbers.
Bill Marshall, the only Grand Island resident serving on the Nebraska State Fair Board, talked with News 5 about the attendance numbers. View the video for the full interview.
Add a comment
Most Popular