Extended summer heat wave draws down fair attendance

Numbers drop about  20 percent from 2010.

Visitors line the midway Friday night at the Butler County Fair in Hamilton. Friday’s attendance was the best of the week.

Staff photo by Nick Graham Visitors line the midway Friday night at the Butler County Fair in Hamilton. Friday’s attendance was the best of the week.

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By Michael D. Pitman, Staff Writer Updated 3:58 PM Thursday, August 4, 2011

HAMILTON — The heat cooled off the total attendance at the 161st Butler County Fair, said fair manager Dan Martin.

But he said fair attendance was bound to dip.

“We were due for a rough one,” Martin said Monday. “The law of averages caught up with us.”

This year’s fair had 77,269 people pass through its gates, 19.6 percent less than the 2010 fair. The last time the Butler County Fair dipped below 80,000 was in 1999, when fair attendance was 63,572.

Martin said the heat was why the 2011 fair had a nearly 19,000 dip in attendance.

“It’s just hot,” he said. “It really didn’t cool off in the evenings, and it was hot day and night.”

During fair week, the temperature averaged just more than 93 degrees, with the highest at 97 degrees on Thursday, said National Weather Service meteorologist Mike Kurz.

Butler County had heat advisories most days of the fair last week.

But despite the heat, the biggest day — as typical — was Friday: demolition derby day. This year, more than 17,000 people attended the fair that day.

“Year in and year out that’s what they come out to see,” Martin said. “They like to see the fire and smoke.”

Despite the weather, Dan Remley, Butler County’s Ohio State University Extension director, said he felt the attendance was good.

“It was successful from promoting our extension programs,” Remley said. “It seemed like pretty good numbers, but when it got in the 90s it seemed like people weren’t showing up. But it surprised me that people did make it out (during the hot parts of the day).”

Jim Jordan, OSU Extension 4-H educator, said 4-H events and exhibits at the Junior Fair building were well viewed, as is typical.

Next year’s fair is anticipated to feature a new building as the two main buildings are expected to be razed later this month. While Martin hopes that will draw a few more people to next year’s fair, he hopes the weather drops a bit.

“If I have any influence on Mother Nature, I’d like her to make it in the 80s and low humidity,” he said with a chuckle.

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