County fairs draw bigger crowds in hard times

Families who want cheap, close-to-home fun this summer are heading in record numbers to a pastime that dates to the 1800s: the county fair.

“The economy worked in our favor, because so many people were staying home and looking for a lot of bang for their buck,” said Linda Zweig, spokeswoman for the San Diego County Fair in California. Attendance for its 22-day run was a record 1,274,442. Previous record: 1,265,997 in 2007.

California’s Alameda County Fair drew a record 432,000 visitors, 87,000 more than in 2008. “I think everybody has a ‘staycation’ attitude this year,” said spokeswoman April Mitchell.

As fair season nears its halfway point, the trend is likely to continue, said Marla Calico, spokeswoman for the International Association of Fairs and Exhibitions.

“In this type of economy, fairs really shine,” she said. “There may be pent-up demand because people have not taken vacations … and fairs are a good value.”

Other fairs with upticks:

A record 158,357 people paid $5 each to visit Missouri’s Boone County Fair – a 47 percent increase in gate receipts compared with 2008. Because of this year’s success, the 2010 fair will be extended from seven days to 10.

The East Otter Tail County Fair in Minnesota, which had charged $6, was free this year. Organizers didn’t track attendance, but office manager Jessie Steeke said “foot traffic was way up.”

The Ottawa County Fair in Ohio, which ended Sunday, doesn’t have final numbers, but treasurer Jon Overmyer said attendance was up about 12 percent from 2008, despite rainy weather.