PORT ANGELES — The 2013 Clallam County Fair came to a close last weekend with increased attendance over the 2012 edition.
Increased fair attendance was helped by several popular new events, said Shari Ioffrida, fair manager.
“It was a very successful fair,” she said.
The gate count for 2013 was 28,108 — about 1,000 better than 2012, she said.
In 2012, fair attendance was 27,159. The year before, 2011, reached a peak of 29,205. In 2010, attendance was 27,496.
Ioffrida said last Friday’s Cavallo Equestrian Arts trick riding show, “Ma’Ceo,” was a major draw, swelling that day’s attendance.
“We’ve had a lot of requests to bring them back next year,” Ioffrida said.
Cavallo is a Florida-based performance company, and a return would depend on their schedule, she said.
Ioffrida said another major draw was the Clallam County Fair Variety and Talent Show, which was won this year by the a cappella quartet No Batteries Required.
“In the three years since the talent show began, Sunday’s attendance has grown by a good amount, and the Wilder Auto Community Stage was packed during the show,” she said.
Carnival operators brought a new ride, the Power Surge, which proved popular with teenagers and kept ride ticket sales strong, Ioffrida said, and fair vendors reported strong sales throughout the fair.
Ioffrida said the fair’s success couldn’t have come about without the efforts of volunteers, who put in thousands of hours of work, and the many fair-goers who choose to attend the fair each year, she said.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arwyn.rice@peninsuladailynews.com.
