Midway lights, great food bites, and daily concert nights were just some of the many highlights as the Stanislaus County Fair celebrated its 103rd year.
Nearly 239,000 guests visited the Stanislaus County Fair during its 10-day run, a six percent increase from 2013 Fair. The Fair opened on Friday, July 11 and concluded its annual run on Sunday, July 20. Fair concessions were up 12 percent and Butler Amusement, the fair ride operator, was up 18 percent compared to 2013.
“We consider ourselves very lucky to have such a supportive community,” said Adrenna Alkhas, spokesperson for the Stanislaus County Fair. “The Fair at its core has a lot of history imbedded on its grounds and is a special event for the community.”
Highlights of the 2014 Fair included the Food Network filming their segment of Carnival Eats at the fair; the New ReCharge! Modesto Toyota Lounge; the new Mommy and Me Lounge; Wizards Challenge, an interactive science exhibit; a farmers market; Rock It the Robot; and the toy train exhibit produced by San Joaquin Valley Toy Train Operators (SJTTOS). Another success for the 2014 Fair was the 1,078 children who signed up for the Kids Club program and completed educational passports for a four pack, two-day Disneyland grand prize package. The Fair’s mobile app had 19,441 total downloads, with 4,300 new downloads for 2014.
The Fair’s free Park ‘N Ride service also exceeded Fair officials’ expectations, delivering more than 15,872 Fair guests to its historic Arch Gate where guests were able to park free at CSU Stanislaus and Pitman High School. Another free opportunity for guests to enjoy the Fair was the Free ‘Til 3 p.m. on Sundays. Over 31,000 guests took advantage on both Sundays to attend the Fair for free until 3 p.m.
“In addition to a successful year filled with many high valued programs, we wanted to give back to the community by providing a chance for many to enjoy the Fair for free,” said Chris Borovansky, chief executive officer of the Stanislaus County Fair.
Nearly 30,000 individual entries were exhibited at the 2014 Fair, including more than 3,700 floriculture exhibits and 2,100 photography exhibits.
