COUNTYWIDE : Fair Attendance Declines by 7.1%

Despite a crowd Sunday, paid attendance at this year’s Ventura County Fair slipped 7.1% over last year, fair officials said Tuesday.

Until Sunday, when the fair closed, paid attendance had dropped more than 9% over last year, probably because of cool weather and the sluggish economy. But Sunday drew 35,304 fair-goers--the highest daily attendance during the 12-day event, said fair spokeswoman Teri Raley.

“If there had been good weather, we might have come out ahead,” Raley said. In spite of the drop, she said fair officials are pleased with the turnout. “It’s consistent with what’s happening industrywide this year.”

The final figures show that 168,993 people paid admission to the fair. Overall admission, including those with complimentary passes, came to 267,563--still a drop of 2.1% over last year. Parking revenue was down 6.32% and carnival revenue slipped 4.3%.

“We’re certainly not disappointed,” Raley said, noting that fair competitors and entries were up significantly this year over last year. She didn’t have the final figures.

An analysis of the fair’s total revenue isn’t available yet, she said, but would be ready in time for the fair board’s meeting in September.