TRUMBULL COUNTY FAIR Rain, mud dampen attendance numbers

The fair needs about 40,000 visitors to break even.
By JAYME RAMSON
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
BAZETTA -- All it takes is a demolition derby to otherwise brighten a gloomy day.
Morning and afternoon rain forced cancellation of some Wednesday events at the Trumbull County Fair, but evening events went on as scheduled.
Rain-soaked fairgoers until late afternoon, then spectators arriving for the popular demolition derby had to put on their sunglasses.
The cars sloshed in the mud and crashed their way to the final rounds before a packed grandstand.
Braved the weather
Robb and Amanda Byron of Niles were among the fans.
"At full force, to hit somebody with everything you have, takes guts," Amanda Byron said.
"You can always have a good car, but as a driver, unless you have some tenacity, you're not going to win," Robb Byron said. "You have to have that desire to smash into someone."
"The great thing is to see a lot of the same people come out every year and to get to know them after a while," he added. "You start rooting for certain ones after a while."
Attendance during the first two full days of the fair Tuesday and Wednesday has slid this year in the face of persistent rain and ever-present mud.
Monday's action was limited to harness racing. On Tuesday, only about 2,600 people came through the gates, about half of what officials generally expect for opening day.
Gate numbers were not immediately available for Wednesday, but observers said the count was definitely down.
Rain in the morning and afternoon dampened hopes for a big turnout, but partly cloudy skies gave way to larger crowds in the evening.
Breaking even
To break even for the year, the fair needs about 40,000 visitors over the course of the week, fair board members say.
Last year, 53,000 gate admissions were sold at $6 or $7 each.
"We gauge ourselves by the general admission," said fair board member Terry Evans.
Although the fair makes money from vendors and booth rental, gate admission is the big source of revenue.
About $500,000 is spent to put on the fair, not including out-of-season maintenance and repairs to the fairgrounds, and most of the money comes from general admission sales.
If that falls short this year, the fair board has a $100,000 cushion left from previous years to cover costs, said board member Jack Lammers.