(Photo | Courtesy of Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center)
The 100th anniversary of the Deschutes County Fair & Rodeo drew 296,940 people through the gates between July 31 and August 4, becoming the highest attendance in Fair history and reflecting a one percent increase over 2018’s attendance. The annual 4-H and FFA Livestock Auction generated another record, raising just under $1,500,000.00, also the highest sales record in Fair history.
Thursday’s Old Dominion concert offered a phenomenal performance to a record number of over 14,000 concert-goers in the First Interstate Bank Arena, surpassing the prior record number of 13,200 attendees held also by Old Dominion who performed in 2017. Over 8,720 hand-dipped corndogs were enjoyed by Fairgoers, helping to lead increased Food and Beverage sales numbers over prior years.
Partnerships with the local Deschutes County community remained prevalent, with Deschutes Brewery and Eberhard’s Dairy Products each creating exclusive batches of their product in celebration of Fair; each of which were a hit amongst Fairgoers. Eberhard’s Dairy’s centennial flavor “Deschutes Flair” repeatedly sold out each day of the 2019 event. Continuing long standing traditions, the Fair’s longest attending vendor Old World Candies completed their 45th consecutive year as a vendor at Fair.
Davis Shows NW returned to provide carnival entertainment, with a 1.5 percent increase in sales over 2018. Two carnivals offered fairgoers choices of the main carnival filled with exhilarating rides and games, and a Familyville carnival with fun activities and rides for younger ages.
This year’s Fair Survey provided valuable feedback from Fairgoers and a record 46 percent said their overall Fair experience exceeded their expectations. Folks mentioned enjoying the hometown feel of the Fair, the commitment of the 4-H and FFA livestock participants, and the cleanliness of the facility. The Fair Survey is still available on the Fair & Expo website, and participants have a chance to win tickets to next year’s Fair by submitting their survey.
Commemorative Fair pins are still available at the Fair & Expo Administration office.
