Change is good for DuPage County Fair

After making some dramatic changes to its lineup, organizers of this year's DuPage County Fair said Monday the gamble paid off.

Festgoers shared positive feedback on such new features as DockDogs canine water races and Espana Extreme Aerial Stunt Show, and organizers said attendance was very high during the free laser light show in the grandstand on Saturday.

Traditionally, tickets to Saturday's shows or concerts cost $10 to $40. But fair organizer Wilbert Hageman said the strong turnout may lead to more free grandstand shows in the future.

"Chairs were packed with people and I think (not charging a fee) actually helped us," Hageman said. "We got better numbers and it helped our carnival area. The more people we have there, that's a percentage for us and it keeps our food vendors happy."

Attendance and revenue figures are still not available for the five-day event, which enjoyed no rain and warm temperatures. But Hageman said he thinks attendance remained similar to the 2007 fair, which drew about 168,000 visitors.

Other changes that proved positive included booking Christian acts Stephen Curtis Chapman and Jars of Clay for Thursday's grandstand concert. Although the show did not sell out, and fair organizers are waiting for survey results on this show and other fair features, Hageman said Christian music seems to be a good fit.

"I think this is the spot for it here," he said.

Crowd turnouts were disappointing for grandstand acts Little Big Town, who performed country tunes on Wednesday, and pop singer Corbin Bleu on Friday. Although attendance numbers for the pop acts have been dwindling since the huge turnout in 2005 for teen singer Jesse McCartney, fair organizers are surprised at the shrinking attendance for country, which is always the grandstand's most popular genre.

Hageman said he suspects the country crowd proved lackluster because this year's performers weren't as big a name as previous fair headliners Brad Paisley or Travis Tritt.

"If you get bigger names, you draw bigger crowds," Hageman said. "But this fit into our budget, which we had to hold in place. It's nothing to pay $100,000 or $150,000 for top acts. We paid $50,000 for (Little Big Town)."

Because grandstand acts are booked almost seven months in advance, talent bookers Fun Fairs & Festivals also took a chance on Little Big Town and Bleu, hoping they would be big names by now.

"You always look for who you think will be the next big star," Hageman said.

Last year, for instance, the fair booked Plain White T's just as they were riding a huge wave of popularity.

One paid grandstand act that did see a boost in numbers was the International Demolition Derby, which offered both an afternoon and evening show Sunday. Hageman credits the jump to pricing changes, since all attendees were charged a flat fee of $10 this year. In the past, viewers had top pay more for the better seats.

"I definitely think that made it more appealing," he said.

Hageman said the well-rounded lineup of events are what keep the fair successful in the midst of a tough economy.

"It's really a family experience," he said.