The Jamestown Sun
This fair cooked up to be a success but it might not have turned out as well without one key ingredient -- pleasant temperatures.
Attendance was "soaring" by Sunday, said Stutsman County Fair Board Treasurer Mike Williams.
Last year's at-tendance, about 27,000, was hurt by temperatures that neared and sometimes exceeded 100 degrees. This year's temperature remained in the 70s and 80s and didn't hit 90s until Sunday.
Williams said about 30,000 people walked though the gates. A person may be counted more than once since fair-goers may come to the fair more than one day.
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Pleasant weather was icing on the cake for Eunice Sahr, extension agent for Stutsman County.
Sahr said she spent more than 30 hours at the fair itself this year, plus time working in the Stutsman County Extension Office. This is Sahr's 13th year working with Stutsman County. She said that while the fair may be over, the work isn't. Now results have to computerized and sorted for the state fair.
Deb Hatlewick, 4-H coordinator for Stutsman County, agreed.
She said she will leave for the State Fair on Tuesday. Hatlewick said she was at the fair from about 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. most days. But even with all the hard work, she said she was happy with the results.
Saturday's dog show, which was new this year, had a large audience and will be back next year, she said.
"The fair went really well this year," she said.
Ann Kern, supervisor of the Home and Hobby department for the Stutsman County Fair Board, agreed.
The fair went well and is a lot of work. In fact, now that she has some free time, she is going to start planning for next year.
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"Most people think of fair as one week in July, but for us it's this ongoing thing," she said.
Williams was sure to give credit where it was due -- a fair is only as good as one thing.
"The weather, the weather, the weather," he said.
