Rainy last day derails fair attendance record

The Arkansas State Fair posted the second-highest attendance in its 78-year history thanks to a few new features and desirable weather, organizers said Monday.

When the midway powered down for the final time Sunday evening, 451,130 people had attended the festival, up 428 from last year.

In addition to the traditional fare (this year’s dietary choices ranged from corn dogs to armadillo eggs), the State Fair hired a new carnival operator. North American Midway Entertainment of Farmland, Ind., brought 61 rides, six more than last year.

The fair, which had been a 10-day event beginning on a Friday since 1969, also added an 11th day to its schedule, opening Thursday, Oct. 12 and running through Sunday.

On Monday, fair organizers were still busy closing the books on this year’s event, but their early impressions were positive.

“Overall it was a very, very good fair,” said Ralph Eubanks, a fair spokesman. “Carnival was great. Weather was great.”

Inclement weather kept its distance for the majority of the fair, although rain early Sunday likely kept some families away on the final day, causing attendance projections to fall short, said Ralph Shoptaw, fair president and general manager. Still, the fair registered one of its four busiest weeks over the final seven days.

One of the biggest hits among fairgoers was the new carnival vendor, particularly its workers, organizers said. North American Midway Entertainment, which participates in about 145 events each year attended by 15 million people, brought 17 rides that had never been to the Natural State before.

Eubanks said fair staff received numerous compliments about the company’s employees.

“We got so much positive feedback about [North American Midway Entertainment],” he said. “Their staff was all well-behaved, high-quality ride operators.”

The company has strict rules for employees’ uniforms, appearance and behavior, and it showed, Shoptaw said. This year’s fair was the first in a fiveyear contract with North American Midway Entertainment.

At the gates, visitors for the first time walked through metal detectors rather than stopping to be wanded by a security guard, which officials said unclogged entry points and gave revelers peace of mind.

“Not only that, I think it was a deterrent for people wanting bring something they shouldn’t inside,” Eubanks said. “I think that added to the safety, in addition to the law enforcement officers already out there.”

Lt. Cody Burk, a spokesman for the Pulaski County sheriff’s office, said the agency made no arrests at the fair and had about 10 to 15 deputies per day at the event.