|
 “The goal of the Illinois State Fair is to provide
family-friendly and affordable entertainment for our fairgoers,”
said State Fair Manager Kevin Gordon. “When we began planning
the 2017 fair, we took a hard look at what more we could do to
provide additional discounts for families who wish to attend
this annual tradition. As a result, we added a mid-week discount
admission day and decreased the cost to park on the grounds. In
addition, we sought to make a number of upgrades towards free
entertainment, which included never before seen performers and
entertainers.
Preliminary estimates show 401,648 people attended this year’s
Illinois State Fair, an increase of approximately 54,000 from
the previous year which was plagued by record floods, power
outages and sweltering heat. The highest attended day of the
2017 Illinois State Fair was Saturday, August 12, while the
lowest attended day was Thursday, August 17. The biggest
increases in attendance year-over-year occurred on Thursday,
August 10 (an increase of 14,544 attendees), Saturday, August 19
(an increase of 14,489 attendees) and Monday, August 14 (an
increase of 13,009 attendees).
Gate and parking revenue estimates also appear to have increased
year-over-year, largely thanks to the cooperation of Mother
Nature. Preliminary estimates show a 10-percent increase in gate
and parking admission brought in during the 2017 Illinois State
Fair. As a reminder, in 2016 due to record rainfall the Illinois
State Fair was only able to fully utilize its main parking lot
(Gate 6) the first two days of the fair resulting in thousands
of dollars in lost revenue.
Grandstand Record Broken
For the second year in a row, the Illinois State Fair has
shattered the ticket sales record at the Grandstand. This year,
the Illinois State Fair sold a record 59,023 tickets with
concerts such as Pentatonix, Five Finger Death Punch and Alabama
leading the way. The previous record was set in 2016 when 58,540
tickets were sold.
2017 also proved to be the second highest-grossing Grandstand
lineup in State Fair history with ticket sales of more than $2
million. With these impressive sales, the Illinois State Fair
was able to re-coop more than 100-percent of its Grandstand
entertainment investment.
[to top of second column] |
Economic Impact
Annually, the Illinois State Fair provides a tremendous economic
impact to the city of Springfield and surrounding communities.
“I’ve been attending the Illinois State Fair my entire life,”
said Ag Director Raymond Poe. “I’ve seen, first hand, the number
of people this fair puts to work from inside the fairgrounds to
outside the fairgrounds. Not only that, but the people who come
to the fair patronize our local restaurants, hotels, gas
stations, and other area tourist attractions, which has a direct
impact on our local economy.”
The most recent economic impact study conducted by the
University of Illinois Regional Economics Applications
Laboratory shows the Illinois State Fair contributes $86 million
in business volume to the local economy. This includes $35
million for wages and salaries and $2.67 million in state sales
tax revenue.
About the methodology:
Attendance was determined based on the number of tickets
purchased and turned in at the gates. This takes into account
anyone who contributed to the commerce of the Illinois State
Fair. As in previous years, a formula provides multipliers,
based on national averages, to count visitors who cannot be
tracked by a ticket due to the fair’s various free admission
days.
Below is the attendance breakdown per day at the 2017 Illinois
State Fair:
| |
2017 |
2016 |
| Thur., 8/10 |
34,555 |
20,011 |
| Fri., 8/11 |
36,788 |
23,890 |
| Sat., 8/12 |
55,686 |
50,682 |
| Sun., 8/13 |
38,772 |
41,098 |
| Mon., 8/14 |
25,866 |
12,857 |
| Tues., 8/15 |
34,336 |
32,201 |
| Wed., 8/16 |
29,672 |
32,058 |
| Thur., 8/17 |
25,053 |
23,675 |
| Fri., 8/18 |
29,379 |
29,981 |
| Sat., 8/19 |
51,293 |
36,804 |
| Sun., 8/20 |
40,066 |
44,598 |
[Illinois State Fair]
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