PERRY -- Attendance at this year’s Georgia National Fair was up, getting the second-best numbers in 23 years, Michele Treptow, director of communications for the Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter, announced Monday.
The fair, which closed Sunday, drew 445,395 visitors over its 11-day run, up 1.2 percent, or by 5,464 attendees, from last year.
The record, set in 2010, is 465,053.
Treptow also said preliminary numbers for the food and commercial vendors were strong.
“Initial reports are that they will probably exceed last year’s sales,” said Treptow.
She said she heard the phrase, “phenomenal sales,” over and over again from the vendors.
Reithoffer Shows, which has managed the rides for the fair all 23 years, expects the 2012 fair to be its top grossing, Treptow said.
The concert sales were lackluster this year, with just 1,000 tickets sold for Hot Chelle Rae and Allstar Weekend in Reaves Arena, which seats 8,000.
With everything expected to be cleared out by the end of the day Tuesday to make room for the National Barrel Horse Association show Oct. 27, the employees at the fairground were already making reports and suggestions for next year’s fair.
“We will review ... and see how we can improve,” said Treptow.
