Closing out the County Fair last Sunday with a whipped cream and strawberry-topped funnel cake are Dolores Gonzales, Emalina Sanchez and Mario Gonzales, all from Hayward, who consider the wide assortment of food booths a key part of the many other Fair festivities. Fair attendance totaled 382,409 during its 17-day run, the second highest in the last nine years. With the skies clear and nights pleasant, the Fair drew crowds even during five steady days of temperatures over 100 degrees.
The closing weekend heat took its toll on the horses, however, with 6 percent fewer running than last year. Even so, the racetrack turned in the third highest “Meet Handle” in Fair history, with receipts estimated at more than $35 million. Especially popular was Trackside Terrace, an open-air dinning lounge in the grandstands that offered catered food and its own betting windows.
The 2006 free concert series also was a major draw for the Fair, including KC & The Sunshine Band, Steven Curtis Chapman and Smash Mouth, with all age groups, but especially seniors filing the 3,200 capacity amphitheater for singer Pat Boone. This year’s parade drew more than 85 entries, a record high.
Besides near-record gate receipts, special events also saw gains in sales. Fine Art sales totaled $18,077, up 16.7 percent; small animal sales, $24,148, up 13.4 percent; and the livestock auction, $690,083, up 1.6 percent.
