(Photo By Flickr User Katherine Johnson)
The rain-soaked Illinois State Fair saw attendance down but revenue very steady.
According to sj-r.com (State-Journal Register), flash flooding, heat and a power outage contributed to a 13.2 percent drop in attendance at the 2016 Illinois State Fair compared to the previous year, according to numbers released on last week.
But fair officials said they were pleased with revenue numbers that were similar to previous years, including a record $2.08 million from Grandstand acts. Total attendance during the 11-day fair from August 11th to 21st was 357,410. Attendance totaled 411,547 in 2015 (compared with an estimated number of 845,000 in 2014 and more than 961,000 in 2013).
Approximately 7.75 inches of rain fell during the 11-day fair, according to the report, including 5.59 inches on August 12th that washed out the first full night of the fair.
First-year fair manager Kevin Gordon said,
“This year, we battled obstacles at every turn: triple-digit heat indices, power outages and seven and three-quarters inches of rain.”
Despite the swamped start, attendance rebounded on the first weekend of the fair to more than 52,000 on Saturday, August 13th, and more than 42,200 on Sunday, August 14th. More than 48,800 attended on the final day Sunday, August 21st.
According to the fair numbers, 58,540 tickets were sold for 10 Grandstand concerts, including acts such as Meghan Trainor, Jake Owen, Kiss, and Cole Swindell. Trainor was the biggest draw with 11,091 tickets sold. Grandstand revenue of $2.08 million topped the previous record of $2.03 million in 2013.
The number of youth exhibitors increased 22% from 2015. The grand champion steer sold for a record $104,000, breaking the 2014 record by $4,000. More than $248,000 was raised for youth agricultural programs with 80 percent going to exhibitors, 10% to the Illinois FFA and 10% to the 4-H Foundation.
Adult admission was increased by $3 this year to $10. All children 12 and younger were admitted free. Previously, admission was $3 for children 5 to 12 years of age. While some vendors criticized the increase, fair officials said they believe weather was the major factor in down attendance. Gate and parking revenue of $1.278 million this year compared with $1.356 million in 2015.
