Counts in from two weeks of fair
By Steve Herring
Published in News on October 14, 2015 1:46 PM
A record-breaking crowd of an estimated 18,000 people packed the Wayne Regional Agricultural Fair on Friday night, but overall attendance at this year's rain-soaked fair was down by half.
And Friday night, while some people were enjoying the 67th annual fair, many more were stuck in traffic jam on U.S. 117 that was backed up past the Neuse River bridge -- a distance of more than a mile.
Lines were not an issue on the fair's final day Saturday as the rain that had forced closings and abbreviated schedules during its first four days returned.
Overall attendance for the fair's 10-day run was about 50,000, half of previous years' numbers.
"I think what happened we started off the week with rain and we ended the week with rain," fair Manager Eddie Pitzer said. "On Friday with the weekend forecast they were calling for rain on Saturday. So I think a lot of people said, 'If we are going to the fair, we'd better go tonight.'
"We did experience a lot of traffic that couldn't get to the fair -- heavy lines, long lines getting to the parking lots. The Friday numbers doubled almost any Friday that we have had. It was the largest Friday night crowd that I could go back on any records and see."
The majority of the people who attended the fair did so on Friday night, Pitzer said.
"We lost four good days of the fair where we didn't have any attendance," he said. "So we only had six days, and some of those earlier days like that first Saturday it was rainy that day also. It didn't clear off to later that evening.
"Tuesday and Wednesday were just average crowds, but Thursday we had a record crowd, and Friday we had the biggest crowd we have ever had."
A steady drizzle fell Saturday, but there was still a good attendance for the ugly pickup truck contest and demolition derby.
"A lot of people who came for the derby sat on the bleachers in the rain to watch the derby," Pitzer said. "But of course we had a good derby. We had about 22 cars in the derby and they put on a good show.
"But it did rain and it continued on through the evening, and we finally made a decision about 7:30 to go ahead and close the fairgrounds about 9 that evening because of the weather. So Saturday was not a very good day for us also."
Pitzer said had it not rained that Saturday probably would have set another attendance record.
"But unfortunately you can't do anything about the weather," he said. "We had a rainy day, and we did the best that we could. On the days that we were able to operate we were pleased with it (attendance)."
Despite the weather, and closings, some of the contests including the Queen of the Fair and school events were held.
The entertainment was good and enjoyed good participation including the Pork Chop Review, hypnotist Mike Bishop and Rex the clown, he said.
By Monday morning the fairgrounds had been cleared and cleaned leaving no sign that the fair had been there.
Lessons learned from this year, including traffic, are being looks at and planning already is under way for the 2016 fair to be held Sept. 29 to Oct. 8.
"When people were existing the fairgrounds this year we exited a lot of the traffic out onto (U.S.) 117 northbound," Pitzer said. "We are going to look at that flow pattern. If we could get traffic to enter on Genoa Road and exit on (U.S.) 117 northbound, we are able to move traffic a lot easier and we can afford some of the congestion.
"But when you have has many people coming as we did on Friday night, and it started early, and it continued right on up until we closed -- the traffic was out there. At certain point you have to say, 'We have got to stop,' because we are going to close at midnight, our normal closing time."
Pitzer said fair officials hate that some people had to sit in traffic for so long and that they could not get everybody in.
About half of the fairground's 40 acres is in parking, he said.
"They parked up and down the highway and around our community right around here -- anywhere that they could find a space," he said. "We already are planning for next year. We always take some of the lessons we learn and look at what we can do differently to make it better for next year.
"We are already looking at the entertainment for what we are going to do. Powers Great American Midways will be coming back. We are hoping that the weather will be a little more cooperative, and we invited everybody to comer back and join us."