Sonoma County Fair’s daily paid admissions increase in 2017

The Sonoma County Fair’s average daily paid admissions grew nearly ?10 percent this year, as the shortened event drew in a greater concentration ?of daily visitors and officials focused more on advanced ticket sales and additional draws such as more free concerts, new carnival rides and a craft beer festival.

The fair, which ended Sunday, recorded 12,804 daily paid admissions on average over each of its 11 days, compared to 11,648 last year. The total number of paid admissions dropped to 140,839 this year from 174,725 in 2016, but the fair ran four days longer last year.

CEO Becky Bartling, who was hired in late 2015 after 22 years at the Del Mar Fairgrounds in San Diego County, said the shorter schedule appeared to have produced livelier, denser crowds each day.

“There was more energy, more excitement,” Bartling said. “We threw a great party and people had a lot of fun.”

This year’s fair got off to a later start, running entirely in August rather than beginning in July, and was shorter than previous fairs as officials tried to save money and maximize revenue.

For the first time in several years, the fair also kicked off at the same time as the accompanying horse races when it began Aug. 3. Horse racing will continue one more weekend, running through Sunday. Bartling said she would work with the California Horse Racing Board in an attempt to get the county’s racing dates moved earlier next year.

Overall attendance at this year’s fair, the theme of which was “Holidaze,” numbered 221,367, down from 277,855 last year.

Carnival revenue, meanwhile, rose to ?$1.6 million this year, up 2.6 percent from 2016. This year’s fair had a new carnival operator, Butler Amusements, because the prior operator had another commitment in August. Butler brought an array of thrill-intensive rides to the fairgrounds, and Bartling said they received “really good reviews” from attendees.

Revenue from the fair’s Junior Livestock Auction also rose to $1.6 million, a 5 percent increase from 2016.

Fair officials do not yet have a total for revenue from horse racing, because the races have yet to finish. Bartling said attendance has been strong but she expected wagering to be down from last year, when fans bet more than $30 million over 11 race days.

Horse racing at the fair has struggled amid a challenging environment for the industry nationwide, which experts have pinned largely on the proliferation of other gambling and entertainment options.

The fair’s inaugural beer festival, called the NorCal Brew Fest, was “wildly successful” in Bartling’s view, drawing about 700 attendees. The beer tasting will return next year and the fair may even add a spirits festival, too, she said.

You can reach Staff Writer J.D. Morris at 707-521-5337 or jd.morris@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @thejdmorris.