Santa Clarita / Antelope Valley : Father-Daughter Contest Brings Fair’s Run to Close : Festival: Applause determines win for Steve and Brittany Sterk at Antelope Valley event. But attendance figures disappoint organizers.

She doesn’t have her father’s brown eyes--or his beard, thankfully--and he doesn’t have her freckles, but otherwise Steve and Brittany Sterk are dead ringers.

Their uncanny resemblance earned the pair with reddish-blond hair a first place in the Father/Daughter Look-Alike contest Monday as the Antelope Valley Fair and Alfalfa Festival wrapped up its 11-day run.

The victory was a sweet finale for the Sterks, who beat out 15 other fathers and daughters, but fair officials were left disappointed by attendance figures that were lower than expected.

Monday’s crowd was sparse during the day, but officials expected higher turnouts for an evening rodeo and other entertainment. Those who braved the day’s blazing heat appeared to be having a good time.

In an outdoor auditorium, a crowd of 75 cast their votes in the father-daughter contest by applause. The Sterks won hands down.

In their matching T-shirts from the Palmdale Hills 4-H Club, the Sterks were the only team wearing matching clothes. But Steve Sterk said no advance planning was involved. He was a leader of the group and 7-year-old Brittany entered a winning pygmy goat in a 4-H competition.

“We’ve been wearing these shirts every day of the fair,” Steve Sterk said.

Earlier in the day, Michael Taylor drew “oohs and aahs” as he juggled flaming torches and razor-sharp machetes. “Notice that at no time do my fingers leave my hands . . . I hope,” quipped Taylor, who sports an ear-to-ear handlebar mustache.

Overall, attendance at the festival was down from last year: 130,708 paid admissions as of Sunday, compared to 137,131 a year ago, fair spokeswoman Denise Fisher said. But she said revenue from concessions, rides and other attractions increased. Final figures won’t be available for a few weeks.

“That’s a little strange,” she said. “We think there may be a mistake in the (attendance) count.”

Total attendance, including fair employees and other free admissions, was 210,925 as of Sunday, compared to 225,208 a year ago, Fisher added. Fair officials had hoped for a turnout of about 300,000, but hot weather and a poor economy might have discouraged people from attending, Fisher said.

Not everything went as smoothly as fair planners had hoped. The Cyclone Coaster was closed for two days after two accidents caused minor injuries to riders. Authorities allowed the coaster to reopen Wednesday night after determining a ride operator was to blame.

In addition, the nightly fireworks show was canceled during the last week of the fair after nearby residents reported seeing flaming material land on their homes.

But even in adverse conditions, the show went on.

Ventriloquist Ken Karter and his puppet parrot Hernando opened their 1 p.m. show Monday to an empty set of aluminum benches. Undaunted, Karter fired a salvo of risque one-liners at two people in a nearby Air Force booth--the only audience close enough to hear. Their laughter helped attract a larger crowd, and Karter was able to proceed with his more traditional show.

“He’s funnier when he hasn’t got an audience because it’s all new stuff,” said Doug Nelson, who had spent hours at the booth and had heard Karter’s routine several times.