87th ANNUAL DELAWARE STATE FAIR DEEMED A SUCCESS

HARRINGTON, DE - August 2, 2006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

With eyes closed, one can imagine the scent of sausages served with peppers and onions filling the air; however, with eyes open, one would notice that the rides have been removed and there isn’t a sno-kone in sight. The memories, however, of yet another sensational Delaware State Fair will live on.

Near midnight on Saturday, July 29, the 87th annual event came to a successful close. You might ask, “What deems the event a ‘success’?” Visually, one could observe hundreds of cowboy hats being thrown into the air as the Brad Paisley concert came to an end, the awe on children’s faces as the fireworks filled the night sky, the wide eyes of those daring enough to have ridden the Space Roller, and the pride on the faces of junior livestock exhibitors who had won top honors for the state’s best livestock. Success was also seen on paper as the Fair experienced several record-breaking statistics.

According to the Fair’s general manager, Dennis Hazzard, “This year’s Wilmington Trust Grandstand shows generated over $1.5 million in sales with 55,346 tickets having been sold—a true record. We sold-out the July 28th Demolition Derby and experienced a 98% sellout for Larry the Cable Guy and a 99% sellout for Brad Paisley.” Additionally, most of the Fair’s other shows experienced strong sales including the Big & Rich concert which offered the most pyrotechnic displays ever presented on the Fair’s stage. “It was tremendous,” exclaimed Hazzard.

According to Hazzard, the Fair also placed a real “hit” on the stage during Governor’s Day—The Beach Boys featuring John Stamos. “In recent years, we’ve experimented with alternative forms of entertainment such as Cirque-style shows and Irish dancing on Governor’s Day; however, this year we contracted The Beach Boys, and we learned this was the Governor’s favorite groups and obviously a crowd-favorite as well.”

The 2006 attendance figures indicate attendance was up 2.3% over last year for a total of 284,436 people having visited during the 10-day event. Moreover, Wade Shows, the Fair’s carnival for eight years, established a new record gross due in part to the various unlimited ride promotion days.

The Fair’s Junior Livestock Auction offered up Grand Champion, Reserve Champion and market livestock for record-breaking bidding. This year’s auction raised roughly $138,000—up 7.8% over last year. Monies raised during the event are offered to junior exhibitors to offset the cost of having purchased and raised the animal and to assist college savings funds; moreover, additional funds are donated to the 4-H and FFA organizations. According to Hazzard, overall livestock entries were up 7% over 2005 with goat entries being substantially higher. Hazzard indicated goats are becoming increasingly popular to show since they do not require much land and are relatively easy to raise. Hazzard noted the Fair’s staff had to make last-minute accommodations for the record number of goats and added that they’ll be brainstorming on how to handle an influx of goats in the future.

Hazzard also commented that the addition of new sponsors and vendors, including the fudge, soft pretzel and bakery stands, gave a new look to Fair. “We want to ensure that we bring in the best vendors in terms of quality and presentation,” noted Hazzard.

“In spite of the warm temperatures and a few showers, the 2006 Delaware State Fair was outstanding,” said Hazzard. “Due to excellent pre-fair planning by a remarkably dedicated staff, aided by members of our volunteer board of directors and the additional seasonal paid personnel and volunteers, the event ran as smooth as I could have wished for.”###