Officials are pleased with turnout at fair

Rain cut attendance but didn’t dampen spirits.

By D.A. WILKINSON

VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU

LISBON — Rain on the last day of the Columbiana County Fair cut into attendance, but officials were still pleased with the 162nd fair.

“It was a good fair. It was a great fair. Everything went smoothly,” said Owen Unkefer, board president.

Attendance was up all week until Sunday, the last day.

Total paid attendance at the fair was 32,000 people, a drop from 35,000 last year, according to Tresa Hall, office manager.

“The rain obviously hurt us,” Hall said.

The second day of the fair, July 31, was a record-breaking Tuesday, she said. The PovertyNeck Hillbillies performed that night to a packed house. It was the first concert at the fairgrounds in five years.

Hall said officials are talking to the band about it performing again in 2008.

Despite the rain Sunday, the demolition derby in the evening was packed.

“It was a very successful week,” Hall said.

4-H numbers

The bad news is that the Columbiana County 4-H program has seen a drop from 800 participating youths in previous years to 660 youths this year.

That’s because the county hasn’t been funding the program. But a donated pickup truck will be raffled to help raise funds for the 4-H programs in Columbiana and Mahoning counties next year.

Because of the drop in the number of youths in 4-H, there were fewer entries. The result was that the animal auctions drew high numbers, according to Unkefer.

Hogs and lambs averaged $2.32 per pound, and steers averaged $1.25 a pound.

Four hogs and a goat were auctioned to provide food through the Community Action Agency. The largest hog was bought by the Wal-Mart Super Store in Salem.

Sharen Cope of Salem had made a quilt featuring scenes from the fair and agreed to have it raffled to raise funds for the fair. Hall said the winner was Donna Weber of Lisbon, whose father had been a fair board member.

Officials said they meet every month and will begin to plan for the 2008 fair.

wilkinson@vindy.com