Gage County Fair Attendance Tops 30,000

BEATRICE - The 2-thousand-17 Gage County Fair and Expo concluded Sunday night as fairgoers had one last chance to enjoy stock car racing, corn dogs, funnel cakes and a ride on the ferris wheel. The five day event that began last Wednesday wrapped up Sunday evening with a five day attendance total of 30-thousand-71 people from 31 Nebraska counties, fourteen states and Canada. Gage County Fairboard Treasurer Lisa Wiegand says fair officials were pleased with the annual event…. [audio mp3="http://media3.floodradio.com/columbus/2017/07/Fair-1.mp3"][/audio] :14                  “rest of the nights” This year fair officials decided to feature three nights of musical entertainment. Wiegand says the Friday night Sawyer Brown concert was a highlight of the fair…. [audio mp3="http://media3.floodradio.com/columbus/2017/07/Fair-2.mp3"][/audio] :10                 “Sawyer Brown was awesome” Attendance for Friday nights concert was a little over 16-hundred people. Saturday nights “Eve of Destruction” brought in over 35-hundred people. The Saturday grandstand event helped push total attendance for Saturday over 74-hundred. Wiegand says participation numbers are still being calculated but fair officials are pleased with preliminary figures… [audio mp3="http://media3.floodradio.com/columbus/2017/07/Fair-3.mp3"][/audio] :20                     “to seeing those” Wiegand says planning for next years fair starts immediately and encourages people to provide feedback about this years event… [audio mp3="http://media3.floodradio.com/columbus/2017/07/Fair-4.mp3"][/audio] :17                     “to raise your family” Gage County Extension Educator Paul Hay says the weather played a big factor in the success of this years fair… [audio mp3="http://media3.floodradio.com/columbus/2017/07/Paul-1.mp3"][/audio] :33                  “that’s what its about” Hay says all the livestock shows went well over the five day event. He says the fair is a great learning experience for the youth…. [audio mp3="http://media3.floodradio.com/columbus/2017/07/Paul-2.mp3"][/audio] :29                     “experiences for kids” Hay says his office will now begin preparations for the state fair which begins in late August in Grand Island. Fair officials, 4-H members, F-F-A students and numerous volunteers will spend Monday cleaning up the fairgrounds.