Sunday, Aug. 16, 2009

Stanislaus County Fair attendance down slightly

Fewer people visited the Stanislaus County Fair this year, but given the difficult economy officials are calling it a win. Preliminary figures show 227,291 people went to the fair during its 10-day run, a small drop from 2008's 232,843. Last year's attendance was a 15-year high. By the time the fair closed Aug. 9 this year, 10,200 people had used its new Park 'N Ride service, which shuttled guests from free parking lots at Pitman High School and California State University, Stanislaus. "Free concerts, free shuttle service, the free Rainforest Adventure exhibit ... ," fair Chief Executive Officer Tony Leo said in a statement. "Once again, our fair guests affirmed that you just cannot find a better value for your dollar."