What counts, numbers or happy fairgoers?
GEDDES -- Despite early concerns about low fair attendance, including the washout on the first Sunday, courtesy Irene, it's looking like this year's edition will turn in some respectable numbers.
State Fair Director Dan O'Hara says he's not worried so much about the numbers, as long as people leave happy, but you can bet he's watching the totals---which, through Thursday night, are about 55,000 under last year's almost-million mark. That's about the deficit from last Sunday's rainout. O'Hara says a strong Labor Day weekend should put the attendance numbers right.
On our Noon News, we also asked O'Hara about the big Chevy Court crowds: REO Speedwagon on Monday, Bruno Mars on Wednesday and Big Time Rush on Thursday evenings had the court--and the roads that run alongside it--full to capacity. The Fair set up 'walkways' in and out of the seating area, and O'Hara says he does not think the venue is too small for the crowds it's getting---that offering free 'big name' entertainment is part of keeping fairgoers happy, and coming back.
