WEATHER DAMPENS FAIR ATTENDANCE

Amid fall-like temperatures, the 138th edition of the SEMO District Fair wrapped up Saturday with an antique tractor pull in the morning and country singer Collin Raye performing at the grandstand that night.

Saturday's good weather brought out the crowds, a stark contrast to the middle of last week when bad weather kept attendance down.

Fair officials predicted late Saturday afternoon that total attendance for the week would be in the 80,000 range. That was based on an estimated attendance of about 18,000 Saturday. Final attendance figures were expected to be announced today.

Last year, total attendance was 81,200.

"We are going to be down this year, no question," said Bob Nitsch, fair board president. Through Friday, fair attendance stood at 61,436.

Still he said, "I think we will make a little money."

Opening-day attendance at the fairgrounds at Arena Park last Sunday was estimated at around 18,000. There was no exact count taken as admission was free.

Attendance was 6,152 on Monday; 1,737, Tuesday; 8,652, Wednesday; 8,089, Thursday; and 18,806, Friday.

Storms caused scattered power outages in the Cape Girardeau area and wiped out events at the fair Tuesday night.

"Tuesday was a wipeout. Wednesday was cold and cloudy," said Pete Poe, chairman of stage entertainment for the fair.

"We had long faces Tuesday," said Nitsch. "We just couldn't do anything about Tuesday."

But Friday was a different story. "We had a real good crowd last night," Nitsch said Saturday. The featured musical attraction Friday was the Charlie Daniels Band, which performed before a packed house of about 3,500 at the grandstand.

Poe said that for the first time in at least six years, the fair Friday had to open its overflow parking area.

Nitsch said the carnival rides were a big attraction this year. "They are really going strong," he said Saturday. "We've got some good rides out here."

Said Nitsch, "This is the only carnival they really have in the area during the year."

All in all, Nitsch said he was pleased with this year's district fair. "Other than Tuesday, it has been super out here."