County Fair attendance increases

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Skyler Smart, 3, of Peru enjoys a toy fishing game during the Clinton County Fair, which was held last week in Morrisonville. Fair officials say good weather helped attendance rise this year. P-R Photo/Andrew Wyatt

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July 30, 2010

By JEREMY FISHER Contributing Writer The Press Republican Fri Jul 30, 2010, 03:28 AM EDT

MORRISONVILLE — The 63rd-annual Clinton County Fair is officially in the books, and Fair Manager Glenn Gillespie said it was a success.

"Everything just went wonderfully," he said.

Gillespie said overall attendance was roughly 30,000, a 9-percent increase from last year.

One of the biggest draws was the grandstand performance by country music star Justin Moore, which Gillespie said was a big hit with younger people.

"The show definitely paid for itself."

The grandstand also saw success with the Beatles tribute band Yesterday, which followed the Classic Cruisers hot-rod show on the fair's opening day.

"Everybody I talked to said they loved it," Gillespie said about the performance and car show.

The biggest draw, however, was the Demolition Derby on the fair's final day, which filled the grandstand to capacity at both the afternoon and evening shows.

"They were both sold out. We had to turn people away," Gillespie said.

The fairground's 125 campsites were also filled to capacity, he said.

The fair saw many winners of various contests, including the North Country Has Talent competition, a michigan-eating contest, a crepe-eating contest and more.

The winners of the Guitar Hero Competition took home a total of $525 in prize money. Travis Agoney and Maxim Rock both won $125 each; Colton Doxgator, Megan Garvey and Vincent Heaney, $75 each; and Rock, an additional $50.

Donations were bountiful during the fair, with several local organizations receiving support, including Relay for Life, which was given a $1,000 donation. Gillespie said Relay for Life was generous enough to maintain the fairground bathrooms and received additional income from tip jars.

Fairgoers provided 1,200 pounds of food, which was sent to the local Food Shelf.

Gillespie said the vendors were also successful at the fair, including several car dealerships that made sales. The biggest seller was the Hilltop RV Center from New Haven, Vt., which sold eight campers, a new record for the fair, according to Gillespie.

The Megapass deal brought positive feedback, said Gillespie, as did the return of the Ferris wheel and other taller rides, which haven't been present at the fair for a few years due to its close proximity to the now-closed Clinton County Airport.

Setbacks included a few complaints and a severe thunderstorm. However, Gillespie said, some complaints are expected and the weather, for the most part, was friendly.

"I think everybody wanted to get out and take advantage of the weather."

Gillespie said he was grateful for the help he and his staff received for the fair, including the sponsors, emergency and security staff, parking attendants and coverage from the local media.

More fairs are coming up around the North Country.

The Essex County Fair is Aug. 11 to 15, and the Franklin County Fair is Aug. 7 to 15.