Unfavorable weather crimps attendance at Waukesha County Fair

Scott Ash
Youngsters enjoy carnival rides at the Waukesha County Fair on Sunday, July 24, 2016. Fair attendance suffered this year due to unfavorable weather conditions all five days of the fair’s run.
Published on: 7/28/2016

Heat advisories and intermittent thunderstorms last week resulted in a notable drop in overall attendance at the Waukesha County Fair this year.

Fair Executive Director Chrissy Gluege said despite a strong start fair attendance was down due to unfavorable weather conditions. The fair ran from July 20-24.

Although the opening day attendance mark was the third-highest in the event's 174-year history, the total number of people who passed through the fair's turnstiles was 84,515 — well below last year's mark of 119,104 visitors.

'We have no control over the weather, but we are already looking forward to planning 2017,' Gluege said.

This was the first time the fair experienced an excessive heat warning all five days, according to a news release.

Torrential downpours and thunderstorms throughout the day last Thursday and Saturday and early rain on Sunday morning kept crowds light, the release said. Truck and tractor pulls on Sunday were canceled due to track conditions from the rain.

'We appreciate every person who came out and braved the heat, humidity, and rain to support us,' Gluege said. 'We want to thank our sponsors, board members, staff, and countless volunteers for all of their hard work.'