Mo. State Fair attendance down 18 percent

SEDALIA, Mo. (AP) -- Attendance at the Missouri State Fair fell about 18 percent this year as hot weather likely discouraged thousands of many would-be fairgoers, the fair's director said Monday.

The State Fair said 280,014 people attended the annual 11-day event in August, down about 60,000 from last year.

Survey results also indicated the crowd was younger than last year, which Fair Director Marion Lucas said likely means the hot weather kept some older people from attending.

Lucas, who took over as fair director in April, also cited some "weak concerts" in the grandstands as partly to blame for the attendance decline.

Lucas said he wants to plan more free entertainment and better events for the public during next year's fair, which runs from Aug. 7-17. He said he also will evaluate the grandstand concerts to try to get the right mix of entertainment at a prices people are willing to pay.

The 2007 fair attendance was lower even than in 2005, when it rained nine of the 11 days but 316,505 people still attended.

Recent fair attendance peaked during a mild-weathered event in 2004, which drew 379,063 people.