169th Canfield Fair ended with a slight drop in attendance from last year

By JORDYN GRZELEWSKI

jgrzelewski@vindy.com

CANFIELD

Attendance at the Canfield Fair was down slightly from last year, but fair officials still consider the six-day event a success.

The fair drew 282,386 visitors this year – roughly 3 percent fewer than last year, when 291,539 people attended.

"I don't think the drop was as significant as we thought it might be. And I think we did very well with the [grandstand] shows this year, which helps offset the loss," said Craig Myers, fair board president. Fair officials expected a drop, they say, because of the hot weather during the entire event.

Attendance was up, however, Sunday, when the fair attracted nearly 75,000 visitors.

Myers said that should help offset any losses because Sunday ticket prices are higher.

Attendance dropped Monday – just under 40,000 people entered the fairgrounds – when ticket prices were discounted.

What also will help, Myers said, is that the weather was dry, so the fair board won't have to spend any money repairing damage to the grounds. In 2013, when the fair drew 301,168 people, the fair incurred the cost of cleaning up after vehicles and vendors struggled to get out of the wet, muddy fairgrounds, Myers said.

"At the end of the day, I think we'll be very close to where we were the last several years, and it turned out to be what I consider a good fair," he said.

Fair officials agreed that Sunday's "Faith and Family Day" was a highlight of the week, saying they received particularly positive feedback from the MercyMe concert.

Fairgoers also highlighted their favorites by voting in the "Best of Fair" poll on the fair's website.

Richard's Stuffed Hungarian Peppers and Andrew's Sausage stands – both of which raked in hundreds of votes – topped the list this year.

Roxbury Pizza Company, Bam Bam's Backyard BBQ, Molnar's (the concession stands, and also specifically for its cinnamon rolls), The Apple Cart, JAAM Concessions by Ed, Vlahos Greek Concessions, Richardson French Fries, the Springfield Township Ruritan Club and Vestal's Pulled Pork also were among the most-popular vendors, out of approximately 900 total.

Now that the 169th Canfield Fair is over, fair officials and vendors already have turned their attention to the 170th.

The fair office has been inundated with calls, letters and visitors regarding volunteer opportunities, vendor spaces and ideas for entertainment acts for next year, fair manager Bev Fisher said.

Fair employees, vendors and volunteers also have been hard at work this week cleaning up the fairgrounds' 350-plus acres. Workers dotted the fairgrounds Wednesday, picking up trash and tearing down structures.

Some displays still had to be cleared from buildings, and some vendors still were parked there.

The grounds have to be clear by the end of the week to accommodate another event.

It's a big job, Fisher says, but one that is aided by conscientious fairgoers and eager volunteers such as 4-H club members and a local baseball team.

"It takes a lot of people, and we're fortunate that everybody's got an interest," Fisher said. "The general public, all in all, does a great job keeping the grounds clean."