ESCANABA, MI-- Heavy rains dampened attendance at this year’s Upper Peninsula State Fair, but officials are pleased that numbers were only down 13 percent from last year.
Final gate numbers for August 15-21 are just over 75,000. That’s after nearly two inches of rain fell Saturday – typically the busiest day – and a quarter of an inch of rain fell Friday.
Delta Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Vickie Micheau says despite lower attendance grandstand receipts for gold circle seating, carnival income and sponsor income all saw increases this year. She says overall numbers were bolstered by a 300 percent increase in gate attendance on Sunday, which was a full fair day for the first time.
"The extended hours, the fireworks, reduced gate admission -- people really came out. It was one of our better days," Micheau says.
Gate receipts totaled $320,736. Fair ride ticket sales grew another half percent over last year.
