State Fair reports successful run in 2017

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The 2017 Delaware State Fair enjoyed strong attendance with the weather, VIP packages and craft beer contributing to the successful run.

 Overall attendance saw a 10 percent  increase of rebound over last year’s attendance numbers with total attendance near 300,000 at the Harrington fairgrounds.

Compared to last year when the Fair was faced with excessive heat warnings for almost the entire run, the 2017 Fair experienced a  dose of milder  weather, including one fall-like day,

Fair General Manager Bill DiMondi  noted that  only one day that was rained out.

 “This year’s opening was pretty tough weather-wise when we experienced mid to high 90s for the first four days of Fair said  DiMondi.

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 “The return to cooler non-traditional fair weather brought tons of visitors some sporting sweaters at night, which is a rarity around these parts especially in July,” the fair manager noted.

For the second year in a row, the Fair experimented with the concept of holding a concert the day before the Fair officially opened. This year, on Wednesday July 19th, emerging  country star Jon Pardi headlined with Chis Lane as an opener and helped kick off a s strong M&T Bank Grandstand concert lineup.

The fair’s focus on country music is seeing less competition, with the plug pulled on two big festivals.

On Saturday July 22nd the M&T Bank Grandstand was overrun by over 4,000 craft beer, food truck and ‘ 70s music aficionados as they celebrated the third year run of The Delaware State Fair’s Craft Beer Festival.

The Craft Beer Festival brought in over 25 brews from 11 Delaware based and 2 regional breweries for the tasting which ended the night with Fireworks presented by M&T Bank.

Assistant General Manager and Marketing Director Danny Aguilar pointed out the continued success of the 2nd year of the VIP Concert Package that offered preferred seating in the first few rows or a place in the pit coupled with VIP parking adjacent to the front gate, a voucher good for food and beverages in the Fair’s Roost (Beer and Wine Court) along with access to a private raised concert viewing area, private bars and air-conditioned rest rooms.  Aguilar noted that  the three shows’ VIP packages were completely sold out several months before fair and that he is already hard at work identifying additional amenities to include in next year’s VIP concert packages. 

The Fair played host to a record 66 corporate sponsors this year.. 

 “This year’s fair will certainly be one to remember as we reflect back on another successful fair. Collectively, the hard work of our volunteers, Board members, & staff is a demonstration of how the community comes together for this great July Tradition called the Delaware State Fair,” commented the President of the Delaware State Fair Board of Directors Ron Draper.

The dates for the 99th annual Delaware State Fair in 2018 are Thursday July 19, 2018 through Saturday July 28, 2018.

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