GRAND ISLAND, Neb. — This year’s Nebraska State Fair drew 314,844 people, the fair’s highest attendance since 2017.
The fair also had the highest single-day attendance since 2019, attracting 53,708 visitors Sept. 1.
“The tremendous turnout at this year’s fair is a testament to the supportive nature of Nebraskans and their desire to be a part of this long-standing tradition,” State Fair Executive Director Jaime Parr said in a statement. “We are incredibly grateful to all the attendees, volunteers, vendors, exhibitors, judges, entertainers, emcees and staff who contributed to making the 2024 fair a resounding success.”
In addition to the overall increase in attendance, the fair saw an increase of 6.1% in total vendor sales, a 5.1% increase in beverage sales and 5.9% overall on-site gate sales.
Highlights from this year included the addition of a drone and fireworks show, several capital improvement projects that supported the guest experience, new strolling acts like Safari Sam and unique stage performances, including comedians, sword-swallowers and more. Fair officials say they tried to diversify programming to attract visitors from every part of the state, putting special emphasis on addressing feedback from last year.
Last year’s fair attracted 311,909. In 2022, the count was 287,367, with 266,245 in 2021.
In 2017, attendance was 379,108.
Here are the daily attendance figures for this year’s fair:
Aug. 23: 20,220.
Aug. 24: 43,466
Aug. 25: 24,612
Aug. 26: 14,643
Aug. 27: 26,887
Aug. 28: 18,585
Aug. 29: 13,205
Aug. 30: 27,297
Aug. 31: 44,179
Sept. 1: 53,708
Sept. 2: 28,042
*Credit: Jeff Bahr, Omaha World-Herald.
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