The weather was mild, the live music was rocking, carnival rides never stopped, the midway was crowded and the Douglas County fair was busy to the very end.
And even though it’s a little too early for the final count on ticket numbers, fair organizers want to say it was a practically perfect fair weekend at the 2012 Douglas County fair.
“The crowds were unbelievable,” said Jonna Negus-Pemberton, fairgrounds manager. “(Aug. 12) seemed to be the biggest and busiest Sunday I’ve seen in my recollection.”
The last day of the fair, Aug. 12, was “free” day at the fair, with admission sponsored by Castle Rock Bank and a public response that was “overwhelmingly positive,” Pemberton said.
The final day ended a weekend that included 4-H competitions, rodeo events, royalty contests, horse shows, cricket races, carnival rides, the fair parade, a free pancake breakfast, shooting events, live music, a barn dance, a pie-eating contest, Dutch oven cook-off, bull riding and cowboys and cowgirls throughout the weekend.
The junior livestock sale, which supports 4-H competitors, hit a milestone, with a record-breaking sale of $272,000, which included $27,000 in bids from 45 local business leaders and county officials.
Ticket sales from the fair were not available by press time, but Pemberton estimates sales were higher than average.
“To end it the crowd we had was unbelievable,” she said. “We felt it was very successful. The rodeo stands were full, the crowds were full, there were a lot of people there. It was a booming place.”