California State Fair ‘exceeded expectations’ with 10 percent attendance rise, record sales
The California State Fair saw an estimated 10% increase in attendance this year, officials said on Monday, “exceeding expectations” despite 11 days of heat with temperatures greater than 100 degrees.
The fair, which ran from July 12 to 28 at Cal Expo in Sacramento, also broke multiple sales records. The fair brought in more than $10 million in food and beverage sales and set a single-day total record of $634,000 during its closing weekend.
Officials noted that a nod from late-night show host Jimmy Kimmel to the fair’s new cannabis lounge went viral on social media, drawing both national and international attention.
“This year’s California State Fair has truly been historic,” Tom Martinez, CEO of California State Fair and Cal Expo, said in a press release. “We are thrilled to have achieved such remarkable numbers especially in with food and beverage sales, surpassing recent records and setting new benchmarks for future fairs.”
Out of the 17 total concerts in the Toyota Concert Series, the top three attended shows were those by Bush, the Beach Boys and Cole Swindell, according to fair officials.
The new “Wild Things” exhibit, which featured live wild animals such as capybaras and sea otters, was one of the most popular exhibits, attracting more than 100,000 fairgoers.
At the Butler Amusement Midway, visitors rode carnival rides more than 100 million times. Some of the most popular rides included the White-Water ride which was ridden more than 65,000 times and the King XXL ride, ridden more than 60,000 times.
