Wisconsin State Fair single-day attendance broke a record in place for over a decade when almost 127,900 people headed to the fair Sunday, Aug. 5, fair officials reported. Total fair attendance was 920,962 people, surpassing last year’s count of 911,231.
While weather played a role in boosting attendance rates, Rick Frenette, chief executive officer of the Wisconsin State Fair Park, said the quality of the 10-day event also helped draw more fairgoers.
Other measures of fair success include:
- Participation in 2012 Fair Competitions, such as horticulture, crafts, and beer competitions, from more than 3,400 exhibitors.
- An increase in profit in all three major fair auctions. For example, the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Meat Products Auction generated almost $90,000 – a $30,000 jump from profits collected in 2011. A significant portion of auction profits are contributed to youth scholarships.
- Nearly 76,000 Sky Glider rides
- Consumption of more than 375,000 original cream puffs produced by the Wisconsin Bakers Association
- Consumption of more than 31,000 Usinger’s Sausages and more than 44,300 Catalano’s lemonades
For information about the 2013 state fair, visit http://wistatefair.com/2012/index.html.
