This year's Stanislaus County Fair was complete with fried treats, funky tunes, wizard games and a whole lot of people.
According to numbers released last week, an estimated 229,000 guests visited the Stanislaus County Fair during its 10-day run, a 5 percent increase from last year's festivities.
Chris Borovansky, chief executive officer of the Stanislaus County Fair, attributes the increased attendance to the fair's mass appeal to the Valley community.
“It was a great combination of entertainment, agricultural education, and just plain fun,” said Borovansky. “The fair at its core is a special event for the community.”
Beginning on July 12, this year's fair offered some new attractions, including a farmers market, Rock It the Robot, and an expanded toy train exhibit.
“In addition to a successful year filled with many high valued programs, we initiated our brand
new Wizard’s Challenge Wild Science Exhibit,” said Borovansky.
Cortney Megee, a Modesto resident who attended the fair on its opening night, said she noticed the fair was busier this year and applauded fair officials on their promotion of the event.
“I went opening night and it seemed a lot busier than last year,” said Megee. “I loved the $1 rides promotion they were having. “
The increase in numbers wasn't just limited to attendance. The 2013 event also boasted 800 children who signed up for the Kids Club program, 5,000 downloads for the fair's mobile app and over 15,000 guests using the Park n ‘Ride free shuttle service.
Nearly 30,000 individual entries were exhibited at the 2013 fair, including more than 3,700
floriculture exhibits and 2,100 photography exhibits.
“The exhibit program is what sets us apart from other fairs in the state,” said Adrenna Alkhas,
spokesperson for the Stanislaus County Fair. “It is about the community joining together for this one event.”
Livestock numbers also increased with the total gross sale of animals sold at the fair auctions
exceeding over $1.1 million. The nine nights of motorsports and free concerts also brought out huge crowds.
“Despite the crowds, I had a great time,” said Megee.
