State Fair officials pleased with attendance results

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) – Attendance at last month’s Kentucky State Fair was up more than 16 percent from the previous year when rainy weather may have kept visitors away, but the total was short of the record.

The State Fair Board says 601,672 people attended the 111th fair, which ended Sunday. The 2014 attendance mark was a little less than 516,000.

The largest fair crowd was in 1994, when more than 684,000 people attended.

Fair Board President and CEO Clifford “Rip” Rippetoe said in a news release that weather was a big help with attendance as well as several discount programs offered for the first time.

The Fair Board says the 11-day event generated about $16.5 million in economic impact.

The dates for next year’s fair are already set: Aug. 18 to 28.
(Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)