Blame it on the rain: Utah State Fair attendance down 15%
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Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune
Curious goat watches people pass by Sunday afternoon on the final day of the Utah State FairAl Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune
People demonstate bubble making toys Sunday afternoon on the final day of the Utah State FaiAl Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune
Morgan Perkins is pleased as she earns a reserve grand champion ribbon for her Short Horned Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune
Kids watch a sow nursing her four piglets Sunday afternoon on the final day of the Utah StatAl Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune
Weather cooperated and the crowds were out Sunday afternoon on the final day of the Utah StaAl Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune
Folks watch the finalists in the Champion Female Overall category Sunday afternoon on the fiAl Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune
Phillip Peart of Hat Ranch in Randolph, Utah is happy about his cow winning the Overall Fem
Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune
Curious goat watches people pass by Sunday afternoon on the final day of the Utah State Fair.Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune
People demonstate bubble making toys Sunday afternoon on the final day of the Utah State Fair.Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune
Morgan Perkins is pleased as she earns a reserve grand champion ribbon for her Short Horned Maine Cross cow Sunday afternoon on the final day of the Utah State Fair. She represented the SB Cattle Ranch in Smithfield, Utah.Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune
Kids watch a sow nursing her four piglets Sunday afternoon on the final day of the Utah State Fair.Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune
Weather cooperated and the crowds were out Sunday afternoon on the final day of the Utah State Fair.Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune
Folks watch the finalists in the Champion Female Overall category Sunday afternoon on the final day of the Utah State Fair.Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune
Phillip Peart of Hat Ranch in Randolph, Utah is happy about his cow winning the Overall Female Supreme Champion ribbon Sunday afternoon on the final day of the Utah State Fair.
This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Rain put a damper on attendance at the Utah State Fair, which wrapped up its 158th edition on Sunday.
Attendance is projected at about 275,000 people over the fair's 11 days, according to Jeff Kooring, the fair's director of sales and marketing. That's about 15 percent below the 284,000 who attended last year.
Rain fell on six of the fair's 11 days, starting on the first Saturday, Sept. 7 just as the fair was on pace for a record-setting first weekend, Kooring said.
"Outdoor events are at the mercy of the weather," Kooring said in an email Sunday evening. "I think many of our guests did not attend the fair the first weekend due to rain, and thought they would come this weekend."
Kooring said that on the fair's second Saturday, even though a rainstorm blew through in the early afternoon, people still came to the fair. "They were hedging their bets that the rain would stop, and it did. And it was a really great night."