Foul Weather Didn’t Hurt Fair Attendance; New Record Set

The Orange County Fair ended its 11-day run Sunday and set an attendance record that edged close to the half-million mark.

A few hours before the gates closed at midnight, attendance had reached 470,186, and fair general manager Norbert J. Bartosik estimated that total attendance probably would reach 490,000 by closing time. Total attendance last year was 439,177, fair officials said.

Even discounting attendance added by the additional day of this year’s run, fair attendance will have increased 7.7% if Bartosik’s estimate is accurate. The fair opened on a Thursday rather than a Friday this year, and on that Thursday, July 9, a total of 16,898 people attended.

New attendance records were set on six of the first 10 days of the fair, including an all-time daily record of 73,801 on Saturday.

The records were set despite unseasonable weather that included cool to chilly evenings and even rain.

“Actually, the weather’s been really conducive,” said Chris Brunet, a fair spokeswoman. “We didn’t get the heat stroke cases or the bad burns. The clouds have been a real plus for us.

“The rain did get people a little damp--we had to blow-dry the stage for the Jets’ concert--but everyone just kept coming.” Last Thursday, the day of the rain, attendance hit 42,341, up almost 7% from the record set for the same day last year. Despite the larger crowds, traffic was less congested than last year, according to Costa Mesa police.

“The crowds were pretty mellow,” said Traffic Officer Phil Dickens. “They weren’t screaming and swearing and yelling at me in the traffic as they were last year.”

The worst day for motorists was Saturday, July 11, when both the fair and a concert at the Pacific Amphitheatre drew crowds to the area, Dickens said.

“The improvements the fair people made really did help out. They mostly improved ways of getting traffic into the fair, and that was where the problem really was. We never had much problem with traffic exiting.”

Bartosik said fair directors spent $2.5 million to widen and reroute lanes from Newport Boulevard onto Fair Drive.

The larger crowd pushed carnival-ride ticket sales up 30% over last year and over the $1-million mark for the first time, Bartosik said. With the fair’s share of receipts, the fair board could net between $500,000 and $600,000 from this year’s fair.

“We’re just really pleased and happy,” he said. “In terms of the State of California, we’re probably fifth or sixth in total attendance. We’re probably larger in attendance than some state fairs in the Midwest.”