Lake County Fair attendance down from 2010

Attendance at the recently concluded Lake County Fair was down from 2010, but organizers are celebrating aspects of the event.

An estimated 88,000 people attended the fair, which began in Grayslake July 26 and concluded Sunday night. That's down about 17 percent from last year's total of 106,000.

Both figures are a far cry from the more than 204,000 people who attended the fair in 2004, back when it was held at the old fairgrounds at routes 45 and 120. The fair moved to its current site at Midlothian and Peterson roads in 2009.

Attendees and fair workers had to contend with some severe weather — including overnight thunderstorms — during the fair.

“The weather certainly wasn't helping,” fair association business manager Sheri Vyfvinkel said Monday. “It was either raining or it was hot.”

Friday's attendance met expectations for the day, however, Vyfvinkel said. And Saturday's figures were better than expected, she said.

Organizers pointed to the Banana Derby — in which monkeys raced on the backs of dogs — an expanded carnival, better parking and other elements as successes.

“We definitely got some comments about the parking,” Vyfvinkel said. “It was obvious that our parking situation was improved from previous years and the best since we moved to the new facility.”

It was the first fair for Vyfvinkel, who came to the association after a stretch as entertainment director at Navy Pier. Her hiring followed a member revolt last year that also led to the installation of a new fair board president, Mike Richards.

Richards and other fair association leaders already are looking forward to planning the 2012 event.

“I am very excited that we now have a full year with a new business manager on board to refocus and develop a strategic plan for the future,” Richards said in a news release. “I'm confident we have the right team in place for a stellar fair in 2012.”