Crowds May Have Put Fair in the Black

Revenues from an estimated 50,000 visitors last weekend will move the San Fernando Valley Fair out of the red, the president of the fair’s board of directors predicted Tuesday.

Sal Buccieri called the four-day fair very successful. He said a final tally by the end of the week should show that enough money was collected to erase the remaining $50,000 of a $245,000 debt incurred three years ago.

Buccieri said the popularity of this year’s fair--with possible record-breaking attendance--could not be attributed solely to attractions such as the world’s largest pig, the petting corral, the livestock auction with record-breaking prices, the agricultural displays, or even the hotly contested pig races.

“I think it was a combination of great things,” Buccieri said. “The key thing is that it was all in place.”

For the second year, the 47-year-old fair was held at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center in Burbank, where existing structures house the numerous displays and events, a fact that Buccieri believes contributed to this year’s financial success. When the fair was held at Hansen Dam two years ago, organizers rented tents. Last year, the fair only drew 35,000 people due to rainy weather and an earthquake.

Organizers said the fair attracted a more diverse crowd this year, thanks to events that encouraged participation by a variety of age groups. Many schoolchildren, for example, participated in a poster contest and grew corn to display.

“It’s the diversity of people that’s important,” Buccieri said. “People learn from each other.”