The 2015 Delaware State Fair reported its second best 10-day attendance with more than 311,000 fairgoers, up more than 10 percent from last year.
Fair officials said decent weather, a mix of new and familiar entertainment offerings, and a supportive fair community helped the attendance move back to the 300,000 mark.
This came as Kent County saw an increase in musical offerings with the Firefly Music Festival, followed by the Big Barrel country music fest earlier in the summer.
“We had a fantastic fair this year and by most measurements, the best fair in recent memory said General Manager Bill DiMondi. “It’s great when plans come together accompanied by a pretty healthy dose of fair-friendly weather not marked by extremes in heat or dangerous storms.”
He went on to report that the carnival set an all time record as new events, such as a Craft Beer Festival, food trucks, demolition derby and strong grandstand entertainment offerings aided attendance. In addition, commercial space was filled. On the carnival side, The Wade Shows provided 56 rides and attractions with a record carnival gross exceeding $1.1 million, was up 6 percent from 2014. Agricultural exhibits also underwent changes.
Assistant General Manager Danny Aguilar said “the return of the Fair’s mobile app allowed us to reach over 14,000 fairgoers and highlight weather alerts, contests, livestock information and daily activities. Our Social Media Channels, like Facebook and Twitter were hard at work keeping fans up to date with Fair information and contests.
The fair played host to a record 57 corporate sponsors this year.
The fair dates for the 2016 Delaware State Fair are: Thursday July 21, 2016 through Saturday July 30, 2016.
